IRLF 


SB    535    D5fl 


HISTORY,  MANNERS,,  AND  CUSTOMS 


linrfli 


BY  OLD  HUMPHREY. 


REVISED  BY  THOMAS  0.  SUMMERS,  D.D. 


Nasftbille, 

SOUTHERN  METHODIST  PUBLISHING  HOUSE. 
1859. 


THIS  volume  is  one  of  a  series  of  books  from 
the  ready  and  prolific  pen  of  the  late  George 
Mogridge  —  better  known  by  his  nom  de  plume, 
u  Old  Humphrey."  Most  of  his  works  were 
written  for  the  London  Religious  Tract  Society, 
and  were  originally  issued  under  the  auspices  of 
that  excellent  institution.  In  revising  them  for 
our  catalogue,  we  have  found  it  necessary  to  make 
scarcely  any  alterations.  A  "  Memoir  of  Old 
Humphrey,  with  Gleanings  from  his  Portfolio" 
— a  charming  biography — accompanies  our  edi 
tion  of  his  most  interesting  works. 

Every  Sunday-school  and  Family  Library 
should  be  supplied  with  the  entertaining  and  use 
ful  productions  of  Old  Humphrey's  versatile  and 
sanctified  genius. 

T.  0.  SUMMERS. 
NASHVILLE,  TENX,  Sept.  27,  1855. 


PREFACE. 


THE  present  volume  is  in  substance  a  reprint 
from  a  work  published  by  the  London  Religious 
Tract  Society,  and  is,  we  believe,  chiefly  compiled 
from  the  works  of  our  enterprising  countryman, 
CATLIN.  It  is  rendered  especially  attractive  by 
the  spirited  and  impressive  pictorial  illustrations 
<nf  Indian  life  and  scenery  with  which  it  abounds. 

Great  changes  have  occurred  in  late  years,  in  the 
circumstances  and  prospects  of  the  Indian  tribes, 
and  neither  trieir  numoer  nor  condition  can  be 
ascertained  with  much  accuracy.  We  have  en 
deavoured  to  make  the  present  edition  as  correct 
as  possible,  and  have  omitted  some  parts  of  the 
original  work  which  seemed  irrelevant,  or  not  well 
authenticated.  We  have  also  made  such  changes 
in  the  phraseology  as  its  republication  in  this 
country  requires 

M575083 


THE 


INDIANS  OF  NORTH  AMERICA 


CHAPTER  I. 

IT  was  on  a  wild  and  gusty  day,  that  Austin 
and  Brian  Edwards  were  returning  home  from  a 
visit  to  their  uncle,  who  lived  at  a  distance  of 
four  or  five  n?iles  from  their  father's  duelling. 

7 


8  THE    INDIANS    OF 

when  the  wind,  which  was  already  high,  rosi 
suddenly ;  and  the  heavens,  which  had  for  som< 
hours  been  overclouded,  grew  darker,  with  even 
appearance  of  an  approaching  storm.  Brian  wa"; 
for  returning  back ;  but  to  this  Austin  would  bj 
no  means  consent.  Austin  was  twelve  years  oi 
age,  and  Brian  about  two  years  younger.  Thei: 
brother  Basil,  who  was  not  with  them,  had  hardlj 
completed  his  sixth  year. 

The  three  brothers,  though  unlike  in  somt 
things — for  Austin  was  daring,  Brian  fearful,  anc 
Basil  affectionate — very  closely  resembled  eacr 
other  in  their  love  of  books  and  wonderful  rela 
tions.  What  one  read,  the  other  would  read  : 
and  what  one  had  learned,  the  other  wished  tc 
know. 

Louder  and  louder  blew  the  wind,  and  darkei 
grew  the  sky,  and  already  had  a  distant  flash  and 
growling  thunder  announced  the  coming  storm5 
when  the  two  brothers  arrived  at  the  rocky  emi 
nence  where,  though  the  wood  was  above  them, 
the  river  rolled  nearly  a  hundred  fathoms  below! 
Some  years  before,  a  slip  of  ground  had  taken 
place  at  no  great  distance  from  the  spot,  when  a 
mass  of  earth,  amounting  to  well  nigt  half  an 
acre,  with  the  oak  trees  that  grew  upon  it,  slid 
down,  all  at  once,  towards  the  river.  The  rugged 
rent  occasioned  by  the  slip  of  earth,  the  great 
height  of  the  road  above  the  river,  the  rude  rocks 
that  here  and  there  presented  themselves,  and  the 
giant  oaks  of  the  wood  frowning  on  the  dangerous 
path,  gave  it  a  character  at  once  highly  pictur 
esque  and  fearful.  Austin,  notwithstanding  the 


NORTH    AMERICA.  9 

loud  blustering  of  the  wind,  and  the  remonstrance 
of  his  brother  to  hasten  on,  made  a  momentary 
pause  to  enjoy  the  scene. 

In  a  short  time  the  two  boys  had  approached 
the  spot  where  a  low,  jutting  rock  of  red  sand 
stone,'  around  which  the  roots  of  a  large  tree  were 
seen  clinging,  narrowed  the  path  ;  so  that  there 
was  only  the  space  of  a  few  feet  between  the  base 
of  the  rock  and  an  abrupt  and  fearful  precipice. 

Austin  was  looking  down  on  the  river,  and 
Brian  was  holding  his  cap  to  prevent  it  being 
blown  from  ^is  head,  when,  between  the  fitful 
blasts,  a  loud  voice,  or  rather  a  cry,  was  heard. 
"  Stop,  boys,  stop !  come  not  a  foot  farther  on 
peril  of  your  lives!"  Austin  and  Brian  stood 
still,  neither  of  them  knowing  whence  came  the 
cry,  nor  what  was  the  danger  that  threatened 
them  ;  they  were,  however,  soon  sensible  of  the 
latter,  for  the  rushing  winds  swept  through  the 
wood  with  a  louder  roar,  and,  all  at  once,  part 
of  the  red  sand-sfone  rock  gave  way  with  the 
giant  oak  whose  roots  w^ere  wrapped  round  it, 
when  the  massy  ruin,  with  a  fearful  crash,  fell 
headlong  across  the  path,  and  right  over  the 
precipice.  Brian  trembled  with  affright,  and 
Austin  turned  pale.  In  another  minute  an  active 
man,  somewhat  in  years,  was  seen  making  his 
way  over  such  parts  of  the  fallen  rock  as  had 
lodged  on  the  precipice.  It  was  he  -who  had 
given  the  two  brothers  such  timely  notice  of  their 
danger,  and  thereby  saved  their  lives. 

Austin  was  about  to  thank  him,  but  hardly  had 
he  began  to  speak,  when  the  stranger  stopped 


10  THE    INDIANS    OF 

him.  "  Thank  God,  my  young  friends,"  said  he 
with  much  emotion,  "  and  not  me ;  for  we  are  al 
in  his  hands.  It  is  his  goodness  that  has  pre 
served  you.«"  In  a  little  time  the  stranger  hac 
led  Austin  and  Brian,  talking  kindly  to  then 
all  the  way,  to  his  comfortable  home,  whicl 
was  at  no  great  distance  from  the  bottom  of  th< 
wood. 

Scarcely  had  they  seated  themselves,  when  tin 
storm  came  on  in  full  fury.  As  flash  after  flasl 
seemed  to  rend  the  dark  clouds,  the  rain  cam< 
down  like  a  deluge,  !and  the  two  boys  were  thank 
ful  to  find  themselves  in  so  comfortable  a  shelter 
Brian's  attention  was  all  taken  up  with  the  storm 
while  Austin  was  surprised  to  see  the  room  al 
hung  round  with  lances,  bows  and  arrows,  quivers 
tomahawks,  and  other  weapons  of  Indian  warfare 
together  with  pouches,  girdles,  and  garments  of 
great  beauty,  such  as  he  had  never  before  seen, 
A  sight  so  unexpected  both  astonished  and  pleasec 
him,  and  made  a  deep  impression  on  his  mind. 

It  was  some  time  before  the  storm  had  speni 
its  rage,  so  that  the  two  brothers  had  some  plea 
sant  conversation  with  the  stranger,  who  talked 
to  them  cheerfully.  He  did  not,  however,  fail  tc 
dwell  much  on  the  goodness  of  God  in  their  pre 
servation  ;  nor  did  he  omit  to  urge  on  them  to 
read,  on  their  return  home,  the  first  two  verses  of 
the  forty-sixth  Psalm,  which  he  said  might  dis 
pose  the.m  to  look  upwards  with  thankfulness 
and  confidence.  Austin  and  Brian  left  the  stran 
ger,  truly  grateful  for  the  kindness  which  had 
been  shown  them;  and  the  former  felt  deter- 


NORTH   AMERICA.  11 

mined  it  should  not  be  his  fault,  if  he  did  not, 
before  long,  make  another  visit  to  the  place. 

When  the  boys  arrived  at  home,  they  related, 
in  glowing  colours,  and  with,  breathless  haste, 
the  adventure  which  had  befallen  them.  Brian 
dwelt  on  the  black  clouds,  the  vivid  lightning, 
and  the  rolling  thunder ;  while  Austin  described, 
with  startling  effect,  the  'sudden  cry  which  had 
arrested  their  steps  near  the  narrow"  path,  and  the 
dreadful  crash  of  the  red  sand-stone  rock,  when 
it  broke  over  the  precipice,  with  the  big  oak-tree 
that  grew  above  it.  "  Had  we  not  been  stopped 
by  the  cry,"  said  he,  "  we  must  in  another 
minute  have  been  dashed  to  pieces."  He  then, 
after  recounting  how  kind  the  stranger  had  been 
to  them,  entered  on  the  subject  of  the  Indian 
weapons. 

Though  the  stranger  who  had  rendered  the 
boys  so  important  a  service  was  dressed  like  a 
common  farmer,  there  was  that  in  his  manner  so 
superior  to  the  station  he  occupied,  that  Austin, 
being  ardent  and  somewhat  romantic  in  his  no 
tions,  and  wrought  upon  by  the  Indian  weapons 
and  dresses  he  had  seen,  thought  he  must  be 
some  important  person  in  disguise.  This  belief 
he  intimated  with  considerable  confidence,  and 
assigned  several  good  reasons  in  support  of  his 
opinion. 

Brian  reminded  Austin  of  the  two  verses  they 
were  to  read ;  and,  when  the  Bible  was  produced, 
he  read  aloud,  "  God  is  our  refuge  and  strength, 
a  very  present  help  in  trouble.  Therefore  will 
not  \ve  fear,  though  the  earth  be  removed,  and 


THE   INDIANS   OF 

though  the  mountains  be  carried  into  the  midst 
of  the  sea." 

"  Ah,"  said  Austin,  "  we  had,  indeed,  a  nar 
row  escape ;  for  if  the  mountains  were  not  carried 
into  the  sea,  the  rock  fell  almost  into  the  river." 

On  the  morrow,  Mr.  Edwards  was  early  on  his 
way,  to  offer  his  best  thanks,  with  those  of  Mrs. 
Edwards,  to  the  stranger  who  had  saved  the  lives 
of  his  children.  He  met  him  at  the  door,  and 
in  an  interview  of  half  an  hour  Mr.  Edwards 
learned  that  the  stranger  was  the  son  of  a  fur 
trader ;  and  that,  after  tjie  death  of  his  father,  he 
had  spent  several  years  among  the  Indian  tribes, 
resting  in  their  wigwams,  hunting  with  'them,  and 
dealing  in  furs ;  but  that,  having  met  with  an  injury 
in  his  dangerous  calling,  he  had  at  last  abandoned 
that  mode  of  life.  Being  fond  of  solitude,  he  had 
resolved,  having  the  means  of  following  out  his 
plans,  to  purchase  a  small  estate,  and  a  few  sheep  ; 
he  should  then  be  employed  in  the  open  air,  and 
doubted  not  that  opportunities  would  occur, 
wherein  he  could  make  himself  useful  in  the 
neighbourhood.  There  was,  also,  another  motive 
that  much  influenced  him  in  his  plans.  His  mind 
had  for  some  time  been  deeply  impressed  with 
divine  things,  and  he  yearned  for  that  privacy 
and  repose,  which,  while  it  would  not  prevent 
him  from  attending  on  God's  worship,  would 
allow  him  freely  to  meditate  on  His  holy  word, 
which  for  some  time  had  been  the  delight  of  his 
heart. 

,     He  told  Mr.  Edwards,  that  he  had  lived  there 
for  some  months ,  and  that,  on  entering  the  wood 


NORTH   AMERICA.  13 

the  day  before,  close  by  the  narrow  path,  he  per 
ceived  by  the  swaying  of  the  oak  tree  and  moving 
of  the  sand-stone  rock,  that  there  was  every  pro 
bability  of  their  falling :  this  had  induced  him  to 
o-ive  that  timely  warning  which  had  been  the 
means,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  of  preserving  the 
young  lads  from  their  danger. 

Mr.  Edwards  perceived,  by  his  conversation 
and  manners,  that  he  was  of  respectable  charac 
ter  ;  and  some  letters  both  from  missionaries  and 
ministers,  addressed  to  the  stranger,  spoke  loudly 
in  .favour  of  his  piety.  After  offering  him  his 
best  thanks,  in  a  warm-hearted  manner,  and  ex 
pressing  freely  the  pleasure 4t  would  give  him,  if 
he  could  in  any  way  act  a  neighbourly  part  in 
adding  to  his  comfort,  Mr.  Edwards  inquired  if 
his  children  might  be  permitted  to  call  at  the 
house,  to  inspect  the  many  curiosities  that  were 
there.  This  being  readily  assented  to,  Mr.  Ed 
wards  took  his  departure  with  a  very  favourable 
impression  of  his  new  neighbour,  with  whom  he 
had  so  unexpectedly  been  made  acquainted. 

Austin  and  Brian  were,  with  some  impatience, 
awaiting  their  father's  return,  and  when  they 
knew  that  the  stranger  who  had  saved  their  lives 
had  actually  passed  years  among  the  Indians,  on 
the  prairies  and  in  the  woods :  that  he  had  slept 
in  their  wigwams ;  hunted  beavers,  bears,  and 
buffaloes  with  them ;  shared  in  their  games ; 
heard  their  wild  war-whoop,  and  witnessed  their 
battles,  their  delight  was  unbounded.  Austin 
took  large  credit  for  his  penetration  in  discovering 
that  their  new  friend  was  not  a  common  shepherd, 


14  THE   INDIANS   OF 

and  signified  his  intention  of  becoming  thoroughly 
informed  of  all  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
North  American  Indians. 

Nothing  could  have  been  more  agreeable  to 
the  young  people  than  this  unlooked-for  addition 
to  their  enjoyment.  They  had  heard  of  the 
Esquimaux,  of  Negroes,  Malays,  New  Zealanders, 
Chinese,  Turks,  and  Tartars;  but  very  little  of 
the  North  American  Indians.  It  was  generally 
agreed,  as  leave  had  been  given  them  to  call  at 
the  stranger's,  that  the  sooner  they  did  it  the  better. 
Liule  Basil  was  to  be  of  the  party  ;  and  it  would 
be  a  difficult  thing  to -decide  which  of  the  three 
brothers  looked  forward  to  the  proposed  interview 
with  the  greatest  pleasure. 

Austin,  Brian,  and  Basil,  had  at  different  times 
found  abundant  amusement  in  reading  of  parrots, 
humming  birds,  and  cocoa  nuts ;  lions,  tigers, 
leopards,  elephants,  and  the  horned  rhinoceros ; 
monkeys,  raccoons,  opossums,  and  sloths ;  mos 
quitoes,  lizards,  snakes,  and  scaly  crocodiles ;  but 
these  were  nothing  in  their  estimation,  compared 
with  an  account  of  Indians,  bears,  and  buffaloes, 
from  the  mouth  of  one  who  had  actually  lived 
among  them. 


NOETH    AMEBICA- 


16 


Indian  Scenery. 

CHAPTER  II. 

AUSTIN  EDWARDS  was  too  ardent  in  his  pur- 
suite  not  to  make  the  intended  visit  to  the  cottage 
near  the  wood  the  continued  theme  of  his  conver 
sation  with  his  brothers  through  the  remainder  of 
the  day;  and,  when  he  retired  to  rest,  in  his 
dreams  he  was  either  wandering  through  the 
forest  defenceless,  having  lost  his  tomahawk,  or 
flying  over  the  prairie  on  the  back  of  a  buffalo, 
amid  the  yelling  of  a  thousand  Indians. 

The  sun  was  bright  in  the  skies  when  the  three 
brothers  set  out  on  their  anticipated  excursion. 
Austin  was  loud  in  praise  of  their  kind  preserver, 
but  he  could  not  at  all  understand  how  any  one, 
who  had  been  a  hunter  of  bears  and  buffaloes. 


16  THE    INDIANS   OF 

could  quietly  settle  down  to  lead  the  life  of  a 
farmer ;  for  his  part,  he  would  have  remained  a 
hunter  for  ever.  Brian  thought  the  hunter  had 
acted  a  wise  part  in  coming  away  from  so  many 
dangers ;  and  little  Basil,  not  being  quite  able  to 
decide  which  of  his  two  brothers  was  right,  re 
mained  silent. 

As  the  two  elder  brothers  wished  to  show  Basil 
the  place  where  they  stood  when  the  oak  tree  and 
the  red  sand-stone  rock  fell  over  the  precipice 
with  a  crash ;  and  as  Basil  was  equally  desirous 
to  visit  the  spot,  they  went  up  to  it.  Austin 
helped  his  little  brother  over  the  broken  fragments 
which  still .  lay  scattered  over  the  narrow  path. 
It  was  a  sight  that  would  have  impressed  the 
mind  of  any  one ;  and  Brian  looked  up  with  awe 
to  the  remaining  part  of  the  rifted  rock,  above 
which  the  fallen  oak  tree  had  stood.  Austin 
was  very  eloquent  in  his  description  of  the  sudden 
voice  of  the  stranger,  of  the  roaring  wind  as  it 
rushed  through  the  wood,  and  of  the  crashing  tree 
and  falling  rock.  Basil  showed  great  astonish 
ment  ;  and  they  all  descended  from  the  command 
ing  height,  full  of  the  fearful  adventure  of  the 
preceding  day. 

When  they  were  come  within  sight  of  the  wood, 
Brian  cried  out  that  he  could  see  the  shepherd's 
cottage  ;  but  Austin  told  him  that  he  ought  not  to 
call  the  cottager  a  shepherd,  but  a  hunter.  It  was 
true  that  he  had  a  flock  of  sheep,  but  he  kept  them 
more  to  employ  his  time  than  to  get  a  living  by 
them.  For  many  years  he  had  lived  among  the 
Indians,  and  hunted  buffaloes  with  them  ;  he  was, 


NORTH   AMERICA. 


therefore,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  a  buffalo 
hunt€r,  and  ought  not  to  be  called  a  shepherd. 
This  important  point  being  settled  —  Brian  and 
Basil'having  agreed  to  call  him,  in  future,  a  hunter, 
and  not  a  shepherd  —  they  walked  on  hastily  to  the 


cottage 


In  five  minutes  after,  the  hunter  was  showing 
and  explaining  to  his  delighted  young  visitors  the 
Indian  curiosities  which  hung  around  the  walls 
of  his  cottage,  together  with  others  which  he  kept 
with  greater  care.  These  latter  were  principally 
calumets,  or  peace-pipes  ;  mocassins,  or  Indian 
shoes  ;  war-eagle  dresses,  mantles,  necklaces, 
shields,  belts,  pouches  and  war-clubs  of  superior 
workmanship.  There  was  also  an  Indian  cradle, 
and  several  rattles  and  musical  instruments  :  these 
altogether  afforded  the  young  people  wondrous 
entertainment.  Austin  wanted  to  know  how  the 
Indians  used  their  war-clubs  ;  Brian  inquired  how 
they  smoked  the  peace-pipe  ;  and  little  Basil  was 
quite  as  anxious  in  his  questions  about  a  rattle, 
which  he  had  taken  up  and  was  shaking  to  and 
fro.  To  all  these  inquiries  the  hunter  gave  satis 
factory  replies,  with  a  promise  to  enter  afterwards 
on  a  more  full  explanation. 

In  addition  to  these  curiosities,  the  young  peo 
ple  were  shown  a  few  specimens  .of  different 
kinds  of  furs  :  as  those  of  the  beaver,  ermine, 
sable,  martin,  fiery  fox,  black  fox,  silver  fox,  and 
squirrel.  Austin  wished  to  know  all  at  once, 
where,  and  in  what  way  these  fur  animals  were 
caught  ;  and,  with  this  end  in  view,  he  contrived 
to  get  the  hunter  into  conversation  on  the  subject. 


18  THE    INDIANS    OF 

"  I  suppose,"  said  he,  "  that  you  know  all  about 
beavers,  and  martins,  and  foxes,  and  squirrels." 

Hunter.  ^   I   ought  to    know  something  about 
them,  having  been  in  my  time  somewhat  of  a 
Voyageur,  a  Coureur  des  6ow,  a  Trapper,  and  a 
Freeman  ;  but  you  will  hardly  understand  these 
terms  without  some  little  explanation. 
Austin.     What  is  a  Coureur  des  bois  ? 
Brian.     What  is  a  Voyageur  ? 
Basil.     I  want  to  know  what  a  Trapper  is. 
Hunter.      Perhaps  it  will  be  better  if  I  give 
you  a  short  account  of  the  way  in  which  the  furs 
of  different  animals  are  obtained,  and  then  I  can 
explain  the  terms,  Voyageur,  Coureur  des  bois, 
Trapper,  and  Freeman,  as  well  as  a  few  other 
things  which  you  may  like  to  know. 
Brian.     Yes,  that  will  be  the  best  way. 
Austin.     Please  not  to  let  it  be  a  short'account, 
but  a  long  one.     Begin  at  the  very  beginning, 
and  go  on  to  the  very  end. 
^  Hunter.     Well,  we  shall  see.     It  has  pleased 
God,  as  we  read  in  the  first  chapter  of  the  book 
of  Genesis,  to  give  man  "  dominion  over  the  fish 
of  the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl  of  the  air,  and  over 
the  cattle,  and  over  all  the  earth,  and  over  every 
creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth."  The 
meaning  of  which  is,  no  doubt,  not  that  he  may 
cruelly  abuse  them,  but  that  he  may  use  them  for 
his  wants  and  comforts,  or  destroy  them  when 
(hey  annoy  and  injure  him.    The  skins  of  animals 
have  been  used  as  clothing  for  thousands  of  years  ; 
and  furs  have  become  so  general  in  dresses  and' 
ornaments,  that,  to  obtain  them,  a  regular  trade 


NORTH   AMERICA. 

has  long  been  carried  on.     In  this  traffic,  the  un 
civilized  inhabitants  of  cold  countries  exchange 
their  furs  for  useful   articles   and  comforts   and 
luxuries,  which   are   only  to   be   obtained  from 
warmer  climes  and  civilized  people. 

Austin.     And  where  do  furs  come  from  ? 

Hunter.  Furs  are  usually  obtained  in  cold 
countries.  The  ermine  and  the  sable  are  procured 
in  the  northern  parts  of  Europe  and  Asia  ;  but  most 
of  the  furs  in  use  come  from  the  northern  region 
of  our  own  country. 

If  you  look  at  the  map  of  North  America,  you 
will  find  that  between  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific 
Oceans  the  space  is,  in  its  greatest  breath,  more 
than  three  thousand  miles ;  and,  from  north  to 
south,  the  country  stretches  out,  to  say  the  least 
of-  it,  a  thousand  miles  still  further.  The  princi 
pal  rivers  of  North  America  are  the  Mackenzie, 
Missouri,  Mississippi,  Ohio,  and  St.,  Lawrence. 
The  Mississippi  is  between  three  and  four  thou 
sand  miles  long.  Our  country  abounds  with  lakes, 
too  :  Ontario  and  Winipeg  are  each  near  two 
hundred  miles  long  ;  Lakes  Huron  and  Erie  are 
between  two  and  three  hundred  ;  Michigan  is  four 
hundred,  and  Lake  Superior  nearly  five  hundred 
miles  long. 

Brian.  What  a  length  for  a  lake !  nearly  five 
hundred  miles !  Why,  it  is  more  like  a  sea  than 
a  lake. 

Hunter.  Well,  over  a  great  part  of  the  space 
that  I  have  mentioned,  furry  animals  abound  ;  and 
different  fur  companies  send  those  in  their  employ 
to  boat  up  the  river,  to  sail  through  the  lake-, -to 


THE   INDIANS   GE 

hunt  wild  animals,  to  trap  beavers,,  and- to  trade 

With  the  various  Indian  tribes  which  are  scattered 

throughout  this  extensive  territory. 

Austin.     Oh !  how  I  should  like  to  hunt  and 
to  trade  with  the  Indians  ! 

Hunter.  Better  think  the  matter  over  a  little 
before  you  set  off  on  such  an  expedition.  Are 
you  ready  to  sail  by  ship,  steam-boat,  and  canoe 
to  ride  on  horseback,  or  to  trudge  on  foot,  as  the 
case  may  require  ;  to  swim  across  brooks  and 
rivers ;  lo  wade  through  bogs,  and  swamps,  and 
quagmires;  to  live  for  weeks  on  flesh,  without 
bread  or  salt:  to  it  ;  to  lie  on  the  cold  ground  •  to 
coo^  your  own  food  ;  and  to  mend  your  own 

icket  and  mocassins?  Are  you  ready  to  endure 
hunger  and  thirst,  heat  and  cold,  rain  and  solitude? 
Have  you  patience  to  bear  the  stings  of  torment 
ing  mosquitoes  ;  and  courage  to  deiend  your  life 
against  the  grizzly  bear,  the  buffalo,  and  the  toma 
hawk  of  the  red  man,  should  he  turn  out  to  be 
an  enemy  ? 

Brian.     No,  no,  Austin.     You  must  not  think 
of  running  into  such  .dangers. 

Hunter.     I  will  now  give  you  a  short  account 

the  fur  trade.     About 'two  hundred  years  ao-o 

>r  more,  the  French  made  a  settlement  in  Canada' 

ar.o  they  soon  found  such  advantage  in  obtaining 

the  furry  skins  of  the  various  animals  wandering 

in  the  woods  and  plains  around  them,  that,  after 

taking  all  they  could  themselves,  they  beo-an  to 

trade  with  the  Indians,  the  original  inhabitants  of 

the  country,  who   brought   from  great  distant 

*ins  of  various  kinds,     In  a  rude  camp,  form-.: 


NORTH   AMERICA, 


21 


of  the  bark  of  trees,  these  red  men  assembled, 
seated  themselves  in  half  circles, .  smoked  their 
pipes,  made  speeches,  gave  and  received  presents, 
and  traded  with  the  French  people  for  their  skins 
The  articles  given  in  exchange  to  the  Indian  hun 
ters,  were  knives,  axes,  arms,  kettles,  blankets, 
and  cloth :  the  brighter  the  colour  of  the  cloth, 
the  better  the  Indians  were  pleased. 
Austin.     I  think  I  can  see  them  now. 
Basil.     Did  they  smoke  such  pipes  as  we  have 
been  looking  at  ? 

Hunter.  Yes  ;  for  almost  all  the  pipes  used  by 
the  red  men  are  made  of  red  stone,  dug  out  ot 
the  same  quarry,  called  pipe-stone  quarry  ;  about 
which  I  will  tell  you  some  other  time.  One  bad 
part  of  this  trading  system  was,  that  the  French 
gave  the  Indians  but  a  small  part  of  the  value  of 
their  skins ;  and  besides  this  they  charged  their  own 
articles  extravagantly  high;  and  a  still  worse  fea 
ture  in  the  case  was,  that  they  supplied  the  Indians 
with  spirituous  liquors,  and  thus  brought  upon 
them  all  the  evils  and  horrors  of  intemperance. 

This  system  of  obtaining. furs  was  carried  on 
for  many  years,  when  another  practice  sprang  up. 
Such  white  men  as  had  accompanied  the  Indians 
in  hunting,  and  made  themselves  acquainted  with 
the  country,  would  paddle  up  the  rivers  in  canoes, 
with  a  few  arms  and  provisions,  and  hunt  for 
themselves.  They  were  absent  sometimes  for  as 
much  as  a  year,  or  a  year  and  a  half,  and  then 
returned  with  their  canoes  laden  with  rich  furs. 
These  white  men  were  what  I  called  Coureurs 
des  bois,  rangers  of  the  woods. 


THE    INDIANS    OF 


Austin.     Ah!   I  should  like  to  ue  a  coureur 
ties  bois. 

Hunter.     Some  of  these  coureurs  des  bois  be 
came  very  lawless  and  depraved  in  their  habits, 
so  that  the  French  government  enacted  a  law 
whereby  no  one,  on  pain  of  death,  could  trade  in 
?  interior  of  the  country  with  the  Indians,  with 
out  a  license.     Military  posts  were  also  establish 
ed,  to  protect  the  trade.     In  process  of  time,  too, 
fqr  companies  were  established ;  and  men,  called 
voyageurs,  or   canoe  men,  were  employed,  ex 
pressly  to  attend  to  the  canoes  carrying  supplies 
up  the  rivers,  or  bringing  back  cargoes  of  furs. 
Basil.  Now  we  know  what  a  Voyageur  is. 
Hunter.  You  would  hardly  know  me,  were  you 
to  see  me  dressed  as  a  voy^eur.     Just  think :  I 
should  have  on  a  striped  cotton  shirt,  cloth  trou 
sers,  a  loose  coat  made  of  a  blanket,  with  perhaps 
leathern  leggins,  and  deer-skin  mocassins;    and 
then  I  ffiust  not  forget  my  coloured  worsted  belt, 
my  knife  and  tobacco  pouch. 

.Austin.  What  a  figure  you  would  cut !  And 
yet,  I  dare  say,  such  a  dress  is  best  for  a 
voyageur. 

Hunter.  Most  of  the  Canadian  voyageurs  were 
good-humoured,  light-hearted  men,  who  always 
sang  a  lively  strain  as  they  dipped  their  oars  into 
the  waters  of  the  lake  or  rolling  river ;  but  steam 
boats  are  now  introduced,  so  that  the  voyao-eurs 
are  but  few. 

Basil.  What  a  pity !    I  like  those  voyageurs. 
Hunter.  The  voyageurs,  who  were  out  for  a 
long  period,  and  navigated   the  interior  of  the 


NORTH    AMERICA.  23 

country,  were  called  North-men,  or  Winterers, 
while  the  others  had  the  name  of  Goers  and 
Comers.  Any  part  of  a  river  where  they  could 
not  row  a  laden  canoe,  on  account  of  the  rapid 
stream,  they  called  a  D&charge;  and  there  the 
goods  were  taken  from  the  boats,  and  carried  on 
their  shoulders,  while  others  towed  the  canoes  up 
the  stream :  but  a  fall  of  water,  where  they  were 
obliged  not  only  to  carry  the  goods,  but  also  to 
drag  the  canoes  on  land  up  to  the  higher  level, 
they  called  a  Portage. 

Austin.  We  shall  not  forget  the  North-men, 
and  Comers  and  Goers,  nor  the  Decharges  and 
Portages. 

Basil.  You  have  not  told  us  what  a  Trapper  is. 

Hunter.  A  Trapper  is  a  beaver  hunter.  Those 
who  hunt  beavers  and  other  animals,  for  any  of 
the  far  companies,  are  called  Trappers ;  but  such 
as  hunt  for  themselves  take  the  name  of  Freemen. 

Austin.  Yes,  I  shall  remember.  Please  to  tell 
us  how  they  hunt  the  beavers. 

Hunter.  Beavers  build  themselves  houses  on 
the  banks  of  creeks  or  small  rivers,  with  mud, 
sticks,  and  stones,  and  afterwards  cover  them 
over  with  a  coat  of  mud,  which  becomes  very 
hard.  These  houses  are  five  or  six  feet  thick  at 
the  top  ;  and  in  one  house  four  old  beavers,  and 
six  or  eight  young  ones,  often  live  together.  But, 
besides  their  houses,  the  beavers  take  care  to  have 
a  number  of  holes  in  the  banks,  under  water, 
called  washes,  into  which  they  can  run  for  shelter, 
should  their  houses  be  attacked.  It  is  the  busi 
ness  of  the  trappers  to  find  out  all  these  washes, 


24 


THE    INDIANS    OF 


or  holes  ;  and  this  they  do  in  winter,  by  knocking 
•gainst  the  ice,  and  judging  by  the  sound  whether 
it  is  a  hole.  Over  every  hole  they  cut  out  a 
piece  of  ice,  big  enough  to  get  at  the  beaver. 
No. sooner  is  the  beaver-house  attacked,  than  the 


animals  run  into  their  holes,  the  entrances  of 
which  are  directly  blocked  up  with  stakes.  The 
trappers  then  either  take  them  through  the  holes 
with  their  hands,  or  haul  them  out  with  hooks 
fastened  to  the  end  of  a  pole  or  stick. 

Mstin.  But  why  is  a  beaver  hunter  called  a 
trapper?  I  cannot  understand  that. 

Hunter.  Because  beavers  are  caught  in  oTeat 
numbers  in  steel  traps,  which  are  set  and  baited 
on  purpose  for  them. 

Brian.  Why  do  they  not  catch  them  in  the 
summer? 

f,er.  The  fur  of  the  beaver  is  in  its  prime 
in  th«  winter;  in  the  summer,  it  is  of  inferior 
quality. 


NORTH   AMERICA. 


Justin..  Do  the  trappers  catch  many  beavers  ? 
1  should  think  there  could  not  be  very  many  of 

1  Hunter.  In  one  year,  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
-oany  alone  sold  as  many  as  sixty  thousand  bea 
ver-skirts  ;    and    it  is  not  a  very  easy  matter  t 
take  them,  I  can  assure  you. 

Austin.  Sixty  thousand !    I  did  not  think  there 
were  so  many  beavers  in 'the  world. 

Hunter.  I  will  tell  you  an  anecdote,  by  which 
vou  will  see  that  hunters  and  trappers  have  need 
to  be  men  of  courage  and  activity.     A  trapper,  of 
the  name  of  Cannon,  had  just  had  the  good  for 
tune  to  kill  a  buffalo  ;  and,  as  he  was  at  a  con 
siderable  distance  from  his  camp,  he  cut  out 
tongue  and  some  of  the  choice  bits,  made  them 
into°  a  parcel,  and  slinging  them  on  his  shoulders 
by  a  strap  passed   round   his  forehead,   as  the 
voyageurs  carry  packages  of  goods,  set  out  on 
his  way  to  the  camp.     In  passing  through  a  nar 
row  ravine,  he  heard  a  noise   behind  him,  ai 
1    looking  round,  beheld,  to  his  dismay,  a  grizzly 
bear  in  full  pursuit,  apparently  attracted  by  tiie 
scent  of  the  meat.     Cannon  had  heard  so  muoa 
of  the  strength  and  ferocity  of  this  fierce  animal, 
that  he  never  attempted  to  fire,  but  slipping  the 
strap  from  his  forehead,  let  go  the  buffalo  meat, 
and  ran  for  his  life.     The  bear  did  not  stop  to  re 
sale  himself  with  the  game,  but  kept  on  after  the 
hunter.     He    had    nearly   overtaken    him,   when 
Cannon   reached  a  tree,  and  throwing  dowj 
ride,  climbed  up  into  it.     The  next  instant.  Bruin 
was  at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  but  as  this  species  of 


26  .  THE    INDIANS    OF 

bear  does  not  climb,  he  contented  himself  with 
turning  the  chase  into  a  blockade.  Night  came 
on.  In  the  darkness.  Cannon  could  not  perceive 
whether  or  not  the  enemy  maintained  his  station  ; 
but  his  fears  pictured  him  rigorously  mounting 
guard.  He  passed  the  night,  therefore,  in  the 
tree,  a  prey  to  dismal  fancies.  In  the  meaning 
the  bear  was  gone.  Cannon  warily  descended 
the  tree,  picked  up  his  gun,  and  made  the  best 
of  his  way  back  to  the  camp,  without  venturing 
to  look  after  his  buffalo-meat. 

Austin.  Then  the  grizzly  bear  did  not  hurt 
him,  after  all. 

Brian.  I  would  not  go  among  those  grizzly 
bears  for  all  in  the  world. 

Austin.  Do  the  hunters  take  deer  as  well  as 
other  animals  ? 

Hunter.  Deer,  though  their  skins  are  not  so 
valuable  as  many  furs,  are  very  useful  to  hunters 
and  trappers  ;  for  they  not  only  add  to  their  stock 
of  peltries,  but  also  supply  them  with  food. 
When  skins  have  been  tanned  on  the  inside,  they 
are  called  furs;  but,  before  they  are  tanned', 
they  are  called  peltries.  Deer  are  trapped  much 
in  the  same  way  as  buffaloes  are.  A  large  circle 
is  enclosed  with  twisted  trees  and  brushwood, 
with  a  very  narrow  opening,  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  a  well-frequented  deer  path.  The  inside  of 
the  circle  is  crowded  with  small  hedges,  in  the 
openings  of  which  are  set  snares  of  twisted 
thongs,  made  fast  at  one  end  to  a  neighbouring- 
tree.  Two  lines  of  small  trees  are  set  up,  branch 
ing  off  outwardly  from  the  narrow  entrance  of  the 


NORTH   AMERICA.  ' 

circle ;  so  that  the  further  the  lines  of  trees  extend 
from  the  circle,  the  wider  is  the  space  between 
them.  As  soon  as  the  deer  are  seen  moving  in 
the  direction  of  the  circle,  the  hunters  get  behind 
them,  and  urge  them  on  by  loud  shouts.  The 
deer,  mistaking  the  lines  of  trees  set  up  >for  ene 
mies,  fly  straight  forward,  till  they  enter  the  snare 
prepared  for  them.  The  circle  is  then  surrounded, 
to  prevent  their  quitting  it,  while  some  of  the 
hunters  go  into  it,  blocking  up  the  entrance,  and 
kill  the  deer  with  their  bows  and  arrows,  and 
their  spears. 

Basil.  I  am  sorry  for  the  poor  deer. 

Brian.  And  so  am  I,  Basil. 

Hunter.  Hunters  are  often  obliged  to  leave  food 
in  particular  places,  in  case  they  should  be  desti 
tute  on  their  return  that  way.  They  sometimes, 
too,  leave  property  behind  them,  and  for  this  pur 
pose  they  form  a  cache. 

Austin.  What  is  a  cache0! 

Hunter.  A  cache  is  a  hole,  or  place  of  conceal 
ment  ;  and  when  any  thing  is  put  in  it,  great  care 
is  required  to  conceal  it  from  enemies,  and  indeed 
from  wild  animals,  such  as  wolves  and  bears. 

Austin.  Well !  but  if  they  dig  a  deep  hole,  and 
put  the  things  in  it,  how  could  anybody  find  it  ? 
A  wolf  and  a  bear  would  never  find  it  out. 

Hunter.  Perhaps  not ;  unless  they  should 
smell  it. 

Austin.  Ay !  I  forgot  that.  I  must  understand 
a  little  more  of  my  business  before  I  set  up  for  a 
hunter,  or  a  trapper ;  but  please  to  tell  us  all 
about  a  cache. 


S8  THE    INDIANS    OF 

Hunter.  A  cache  is  usually  dug  near  a  stream, 
that  the  earth  taken  out  of  the  hole  may  be  thrown 
into  the  running  water,  otherwise  it  would  tell 
tales.  Then  the  hunters  spread  blankets,  or  what 
clothes  they  have,  over  the  surrounding  ground, 
to  prevent  the  marks  of  their  feet  being  seen. 
When  they  have  dug  the  hole  they  line  it  with 
dry  grass,  and  sticks,  and  bark,  and  sometimes 
with  a  dry  skin.  After  the  things  to  be  hidden 
are  put  in,  they  are  covered  writh  another  dry 
skin,  and  the  hole  is  filled  up  with  grass,  stones, 
and  sticks,  and  trodden  down  hard,  to  prevent  the 
top  from  sinking  afterwards  :  the  place  is  sprinkled 
with  water  to  take  away  the  scent ;  and  the  turf, 
which  was  first  cut  away,  before  the  hole  was  dug, 
is  laid  down  with  care,  just  as  it  was  before  it 
was  touched.  They  then  take  up  their  blankets 
and  clothes,  and  leave  the  cache,  putting  a  mark 
at  some  distance,  that  when  they  come  again  they 
may  know  where  to  find  it. 

Austin.  Capital!  I  could  make  a  cache  now, 
that  neither  bear,  nor  wolf,  nor  Indian  could  find. 

Brian.  But  if  the  bear  did  not  find  the  cache, 
he  might  find  you ;  and  then  what  would  become 
of  you  ? 

Austin.  Why  I  would  climb  a  tree,  as  Can 
non  did. 

Hunter.  Most  of  the  furs  that  are  taken  find  their 
way  to  London  ;  but  every  year  the  animals  which 
produce  them  become  fewer.  Besides  the  skins  of 
larger  animals,  the  furs  of  a  great  number  of 
smaller  creatures  are  valuable  ;  and  these,  vary 
ing  in  their  habits,  require  to  be  taken  in  a  different 


NORTH    AMERICA. 


29 


manner.     The  bison  is*  found  on  the  prairies,  or 
plains ;   the  beaver,  on  creeks  and  rivers ;    the 
badger,  the  fox,  and  the  rabbit,   burrow  in  the 
ground;  and  the  bear,  the  deer,  the  mink,  the 
martin,  the  raccoon,  the  lynx,  the  hare,  the  musk- 
rat,  the  squirrel,  and  ermine,  are  all  to  be  found 
in    the  woods.     In    paddling   up    the    rivers    in 
canoes,  and  in  roaming  through  the  woods  and 
prairies,  in  search  of  these  animals,  I  have  mingled 
much  with  Indians  of  different  tribes ;  and  if  you 
can,  now  and  then,  make  a  call  on  me,  you  will 
perhaps  be  entertained  in  hearing  what  I  can  tell 
you  about  them.     The  Indians  should  be  regarded 
by  us  as  brothers.    We  ought  to  feel  interested  in 
their  welfare  here,  and  in  their  happiness  here 
after.     The  fact  that  we  are  living  on  lands  once 
the  residence  of  these  roaming  tribes,  and  that  they 
have  been  driven  far  into  the  wilderness  to  make 
room  for  us,  should  lead  us  not  only  to  feel  sym 
pathy  for  the  poor  Indians,  but  to  make  decided 
efforts  for   their   improvement.     Our    missionary 
societies  are  aiming  at  this  great  object,  but  far 
greater  efforts  are  necessary.     We  have  the  word 
of  God,  and  Christian    Sabbaths,   and  Christian 
ministers,  and  religious  ordinances,  in  abundance, 
to  direct  and  comfort  us  ;  but  they  are  but  scantily 
supplied  with  these  advantages.     Let  us  not  for 
get  to  ask  in  our   prayers,  that  the  Father  of 
mercies4   may  make  known   his  mercy  to  them, 
opening  their  eyes,  and  influencing  their  hearts, 
so  that   they  may  become   true  servants  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

The  delight  visible  in  the  sparkling  eyes  of  the 


30 


THE    INDIANS   OF 


young  people,  as  they  took  their  leave,  spoke 
their  thanks.  On  'their  way  home,  they  talked 
of  nothing  else  but  fur  companies,  lakes,  rivers, 
prairies,  and  rocky  mountains ;  buffaloes,  wolves, 
bears,  and  beavers  ;  and  it  was  quite  as  much  as 
Brian  and  Basil  could  do,  to  persuade  their  brother 
Austin  from. making  up  his  mind  at  once  to  be  a 
voyageur,  a  coureur  des  bois,  or  a  trapper.  The 
more  they  were  against  it,  so  much  the  more  his 
heart  seemed  set  upon  the  enterprise ;  and  the 
wilder  they  made  the  buffaloes  that  would  attack 
him,  and  the  bears  and  wolves  that  would  tear 
him  to  pieces,  the  bolder  and  more  courageous 
he  became.  However,  though  on  this  point  they 
could  not  agree,  they  were  all  unanimous  in  their 
determination  to  make  another  visit  the  first  op 
portunity. 


Indian  Cloak. 


NORTH    AMERICA. 


31 


Chiefs  of  different  Tribes. 

CHAPTER   III. 

THE  next  time  the  three  brothers  did  not  gC 
to  the  red  sand-stone  rock,  but  the  adventure 
which  took  place  there  formed  a  part  of  their  con 
versation  They  found  the  hunter  at  home,  and, 
feeling  now  on  very  friendly  and  familiar  terms 
with  him,  they  entered  at  once  on  the  subject 
that  was  nearest  their  hearts.  Tell  us,  if  you 
please,"  said  Austin,  as  soon  as  they  were  seated, 
«  about  the  very  beginning  of  the  red  men." 

"  You  are  asking  me  to  do  that,"  replied 
hunter,  "  which  is  much  more  difficult  than  you 
suppose.  To  account  for  the  existence  of  the 
original  inhabitants,  and  of  the  various  tribes 
of  Indians  which  are  now  scattered  throughout 
the  whole  of  North  America,  has  puzzled  lue 


32 


THE    INDIANS    OF 


heads  of  the  wisest  men  for  ages  ;  and,  even  at  th> 
present  day,  though  travelers  have  endeavoured 
to  throw  light  on  this  suoject,  it  still  remains  s 
mystery. 

Austin.  But  what  is  it  that  is  so  mysterious? 
What  is  it  that  wise  men  and  travellers  cannot 
make  out? 

Hunter.  They  cannot  make  out  how  it  is,  that  the 
.whole  of  America— taking  in,  as  it  does,  some  parts 
which  are  almost  always  covered  with  snow,  and 
other  parts  that  areas  hot  as  the  sun  can  make  them— - 
should  be  peopled  with  a  class  of  human  beings 
distinct  from  all  others  in  the  world— red  men 
who  have  black  hair,  and  no  beards.  If  you  re 
member,  it  is  said,  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis, 

So  God  created  man  in  his  own  image,  in  the 
image  of  God  created  he  him  ;  male  and  female 
created  he  them."  And,  in  the  second  chapter, 
'  And  the  Lord  God  planted  a  garden  eastward 
in  Eden  ;  and  there  he  put  the  man  whom  he 
had  forme;}:7'  Now,  it  is  known,  by  the  names 

the  rivers  which  are  mentioned  in  the  chapter, 
that  the  garden  of  Eden  was  in  Asia  ;  so  that  you 
see  our  first  parents,  whence  the  whole  of  man 
kind  have  sprung,  dwelt  in  Asia. 

Austin.   Yes,  that  is  quite  plain. 

Hunter.  Well,  then,  you  recollect,  I  dare  say, 
that  when  the  world  was  drowned,  all  mankind 
were  destroyed,  except  Noah  and  his  family  in 
the  ark. 

Brian.  Yes  ;  we  recollect  that  very  well. 

Hu.nf.er.  -And  when  tho  ark  rested,  it  res'ted  on 
Mount  Arirat,  which  is  in  Asia  also.  If  Vou 


NORTH    AMERICA.  33 

look  on  the  map  of  the  world,  you  will  see  that 
the  three  continents,  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa, 
are  united  together;  but  America  stands  by  it 
self,  with  an  ocean  rolling  on  each  side  of  it, 
thousands  of  miles  broad.  It  is  easy  to  suppose 
that  mankind  would  spread  over  the  continents 
that  are  close  together,  but  difficult  to  account  for 
their  passing  over  the  ocean,  at  a  time  when  the 
arts  of  ship-building  and  navigation  were  so  little 
understood. 

Austin.  They  must  have  gone  in  a  ship,  that 
is  certain. 

Hunter.  But  suppose  they  did,  how  came  it 
about  that  they  should  be  so  very  different  from 
all  other  men  ?  America  was  only  discovered 
about  four  hundred  years  ago,  and  then  it  was  well 
peopled  with  red  men.  Besides,  there  have  been 
discovered  throughout  our  country,  monuments, 
ruins,  and  sites  of  ancient  towns,  with  thousands 
of  enclosures  and  fortifications.  Articles,  too,  of 
pottery,  sculpture,  glass,  and  copper,  have  been 
found  at  times,  sixty  or  eighty  feet  under  the 
ground,  and,  in  some  instances,  with  forests 
growing  over  them,  so  that  they  must  have  been 
very  ancient.  The  people  who  built  these  fortifi 
cations  and  towers,  and  possessed  these  articles 
in  pottery,  sculpture,  glass,  and  copper,  lived  at 
a  remote  period,  and  must  have  been,  to  a  con 
siderable  degree,  cultivated.  Who  these  people 
were,  and  how  they  cafne  to  America,  no  one 
knows,  though  many  have  expressed  their  opi 
nions.  But,  even  if  we  did  know  who  they 
were,  how  could  we  account  fo?  the  present  race 
2 


34  THE    INDIANS    OF 

of  Indians  in  North  America  being  barbarous, 
when  their  ancestors  were  so  highly  civilized? 
These  are  difficulties  which,  as  I  said,  have  puz 
zled  the  wisest  heads  for  ages. 

Austin.  What  do  wise  men  and  travellers  say 
about  these  things  ? 

Hunter.  Some  think,  that  as  the  frozen  regions 
of  Asia,  in  one  part,  are  so  near  the  frozen  regions 
of  North  America — it  being  only  about  forty  miles 
across  Behrings'  Straits — some  persons  from  Asia 
might  have  crossed  over  there,  and  peopled  the 
country ;  or  that  North  America  might  have  once 
been  joined  to  Asia,  though  it  is  not  so  now ;  or 
that,  in  ancient  times,  some  persons  might  have 
drifted,  or  been  blown  there  by  accident,  in  boats 
or  ships,  across  the  wide  ocean.  Some  think 
these  people  might  have  been  Phenicians,  Car- 
thagenians,  Hebrews,  or  Egyptians ;  while  another 
class  of  reasoners  suppose  them  t©  have  been*' 
Hindoos,  Chinese,  Tartars,  Malays,  or  others.  It 
seems,  however,  to  be  God's  wrill  often  to  humble 
the  pride  of  his  creatures,  by  baffling  their  con 
jectures,  and  hedging  up  their  opinions  with 
difficulties.  His  way  is  in  the  sea,  and  his  path 
in  the  great  waters,  and  his  footsteps  are  not 
known.  He  "  maketh  the  earth  empty,  and 
maketh  it  waste,  and  turneth  it  upside  down,  and 
scattereth  abroad  the  inhat Hants  thereof." 

Austin.  Well,  if  you  cannot  tell  us  of  the 
Indians  in  former  times*  you  can  tell  us  of  the 
Indians  that  there  are,  for  that  will  be  a  great 
deal  better. 


NORTH   AMERICA.  35 

Brian.  Yes,  that  it  will. 

Hunter.  You  must  bear  in  mind,  that  some 
years  have  passed  since  I  was  hunting  and  trap 
ping  in  the  woods  and  prairies,  and  that  many 
changes  have  taken  place  since  then  among  the 
Indians.  Some  have  been  tomahawked  by  the 
hands  of  the  stronger  tribes  ;  some  have  given  up 
their  lands  to  the  whites,  and  retired  to  the  west 
of  the  Mississippi ;  and  thousands  have  been  car 
ried  off  by  disease,  which  has  made  sad  havoc 
among  them.  I  must,  therefore,  speak  of  them 
as  they  were.  Some  of  the  tribes,  since  I  left 
them,  have  been*  utterly  destroyed  ;  not  one  living 
creature  among  them  being  left  to  speak  of  those 
who  have  gone  before  them. 

Austin.  What  a  pity !  They  want  some  good 
doctors  among  them,  and  then  diseases  would  not 
carry  them  off  in  that  way. 

Hunter.  I  will  not  pretend  to  give  you  an  exact 
account  of  the  number  of  the  different  tribes,  or 
the  particular  places  they  now  occupy  ;  for  though 
my  information  may  be  generally  right,  yet  the 
changes  which  have  taken  place  are  many. 

Austin.  Please  to  tell  us  what  you  remember, 
and  what  you  know ;  and  that  will  quite  satisfy  us. 

Hunter.  A  traveller*  among  the  Indian  tribes 
has  published  a  book  called  "  Letters  and  Notes 
on  the  Manners,  Customs,  and  Condition  of  the 
North  American  Indians  ;"  and  a  most  interesting 
and  entertaining  account  it  is.  If  ever  you  can 
lay  hold  of  it,  it  will  afford  you  great  amusement 


Mr.  Catlin 


36  THE   INDIANS   OF 

Perhaps  no  man  who  has  written  on  the  Indiana 
has  seen  so  much  of  them  as  he  has. 

Brian.  Did  you  ever  meet  Catlin  ? 

Hunter.  0  yes,  many  times  ;  and  a  most  agree 
able  companion  I  found  him.  He  has  lectured 
in  most  of  our  cities,  and  shown  the  beautiful 
collection  of  Indian  dresses  and  curiosities  col 
lected  during  his  visits  to  the  remotest  tribes. 
If  you  can  get  a  sight  of  his  book,  you  will  soon 
see  that  he  is  a  man  of  much  knowledge,  and 
possessing  great  courage,  energy,  and  perse 
verance.  I  will  now,  then,  begin  my  narrative ; 
and  if  you  can  find  pleasure  in  hearing  a  descrip 
tion  of  the  Indians,  with  their  villages,  wigwams, 

• 
warwhoops,  and  warriors ;  their  manners,  customs, 

and  superstitions;  their  dress,  ornaments,  and 
arms ;  their  mysteries,  games,  huntings,  dances, 
war-councils,  speeches,  battles,  and  burials  ;  with 
a  fair  sprinkling  of  prairie  dogs,  and  wild  horses ; 
wolves,  beavers,  grizzly  bears,  and  mad  buffa 
loes  ;  I  will  do  my  best  to  give  you  gratification. 

Austin.  These  are  the  very  things  that  we  want 
to  know. 

Hunter.  I  shall  not  forget  to  tell  you  what  the 
missionaries  have  done  among  the  Indians ;  but 
that  must  be  towards  the  latter  end  of  my  account. 
Let  me  first  show  you  a  complete  table  of  the 
number  and  names  of  the  tribes.  It  is  in  the  Re 
port  made  to  Congress  by  the  Commissioners  of 
Indian  Affair  for  1S4?~4. 


NORTH   AMERICA. 


37 


•nraq)  Snijsts 
-qns  jo  asuad'xa  A"[iiKI 

1S3.W. 

aou.i^isqns         japan 

S 

A\OU  qoua  jo  jaqiunfj 

•4Jodsi 
I^nnuc   JSEJ  jo   an:p 

ct 

aauis  paAOuiaj  jaqran^j 

•aqu»iIDieajo 
;sca  Suiuiuiuaa  jaquin^ 

s 

^  co              o          eo 

Tf  (M                        O                rH 
t*  CO            1          O               •-< 

•pSAOtuai 

00 

Tf    1>            T£            r-l                     C» 

^{j'BijiEd    jo   XpoqM 

p^ 

O^  J."*         C^         i  —  •                CD 

aquj    qota   jo  UOIIB[ 

L 

U7   r—  <          GO          Oi 

•^H  m       co       o 

<N    -H                                0* 

OB 

r-fl    JN.            ^            r-l    O            C< 

•paAoraaj  Xijrajjid 

J> 

P>  !>         N         i-i  O         <O 

u!i  i—  I           GO          O3   ^ 

jo    paAouiaj     jaqtun^j 

m 

r^  1C          CO          U3   t> 

*J3AU  iddlSSISSIJ/^ 

sqj  jo  jsa'tt  Ajjurioo 
aq)      0|     snouaSipui 

4 

§o                  o  o 
O                             00  O 

•  •  «  '  §  '  '     '  5W 

oqu}  qa^a  jo  jaqmn^j  . 

CO                             M 

nd  Potta- 
watomies 

:::::::  s  :  :  : 

Mrfrrjiio 

•5 

I 

Ottowas,  a 
and  Potta 

EL  

rt    .     .     . 

:.:::::«::: 

Z 

«  s  s 

rt  •!-<   2 

S  1^ 

»p  Mllfj 

^2^ 

^  _rt    cj  r^    _^  "-^    c^3          P*H  ^ 

&BV- 

'cj    ^   cd  *~^    rt    s-*    ^    ^  ^<r]    rt   ^ 

^  ^  o 
0 

0,0  i  S  £  o  <  w     -^Q 

38 


THE   INDIANS   OF 


•maqi  Smjsis 
•qna  jo  asuaaxa  A[[t(£ 

O 
O5 

aonajstsqtw,        aapun 
MOO  qo«9  jo  aaqiun^i 

•a 

oo 

OS 

I—  1 

j^nncre   JSBJ  jo   9|«p 
aoais  paAouiaa  jsqain^j 

00 
00 

1SB9  SuiUItlUOJ  JiKHUnxT 

O         CO         O               O 

-ndod  aaa^saM  jubsaaj 

co                             o      o  oo 

1             1          O5^              C*                      U3         O^OO 

O               O                      GO         CO  Gt 
00                 GO                       00          <N  t- 
1             1           O5^                i—  I                       lO          OO  C* 

•J3AIJ  iddlSSISStJ/^ 

t-n;      01     snoagSipai 
*IW  qa«3  J"  JaquinN 

•I'l'l  -p^  -.I-  i5 

|£  :  :  :  :  :  :g  :  :  :  :  :-g,  :  :  : 

»  o  :  :  :  :  :  :  S  S  :  :  :  :  '«  :  :  • 
g  •  2  :   :  :  :  :  :  £  -  :  •  :  :  -3  :  :  : 

•s 

I 

^  S  i  .  i      i     c  a  :  :  :  :  ^  :  :  • 
&  2L  •  j  :|  it  •  .'•  :  |  j  S  »  ^  :  .  :  ;*  :  :  • 

S3  :  :|  :  :  :||  :  :  :  :S  :  :§ 
oii^'ii^^irii^iio 

'^                     ••^fnr**^1''3                     •                     1^11^ 

NORTH   AMERICA. 


o       -       ^ 

ITS  CO  CO 


CO          00          O          «-i          I-H          CO 
?>•          Oi          ^O          ^O          f— i          GO 

1-4  r-l  CM  CM  !-« 


I  I  I  I 


iO  CM  CM  I-H  r-<  O 
CM  CO  CO  O  f— i  O 
<M  I-H  I-H  CM  CM  O 


I  I  I 


eshaws  

is  

is  and  Kaskaski 

a<?  .  . 

as  from  Sandusl 
and  Missourias 
as  and  Shawnee 

:  j  Jl|  :j  H  M  if  i  HI 

•  •:::  :0  ;::::-::: 

.CD              •      •.(3.«.CO*O«*» 

:§>8  :  :  :  1  :  :s-2  -gj  :  : 
%  J2  o    '  %   •  o    'x£>ocD£ajOT; 
B  •«  a  2  5   '  -2  12  .2  £  S  6  »  £  Y» 

i  §>§  P"8  1  i  1 II  a  II 1 111.1  §^.^  ra^ .., 

^cS(£;«^OcoOc»p!^oWSo^£§<SooSo» 


40 


THE   INDIANS    OF 


05 

.  'nwqj  Sniisis 
-qn«  jo  asuadxa  Xipeg 

o 

AOU  qo«o  jo  J8qnjn>i 

0 

•^ 

•jjodaj 

CD 

jTOnnti   }&e\  jo   3|*p 

aouis  paAocuaj  joquinM 

** 

0  t-  10  0 

CO 

•aquj  qo^a  jo 
jsia  SamicuMJ  jaquinvj 

i>-  O  2>  O 

00^ 

XtreiJJ^d    jo   ^[[oq.tt 
aquj   qoia  jo  UOIIEJ 

1      1      1     J 

o 

oT 

00 

00 

•pnAomoj  Xntiijrd 

00 

JO  A|ioq.«  aqu)  '\{3E9 

1      1      1      1 

w 

jo    paAoiuaa    jaquinfj 

o 

00 

O 

O5 

•iddississijv 

0 

o 

aqj     oj      snoiiaSipoi 

00  1    1    »   1 

GO" 

aqijj  H3E3  jo  jaqtun^j 

CO 

I-H 

I    crt      '      '. 

:C    d    §• 

1 

H-l     t,  |2  HH 

"S 

11  ««  S     ° 

I 

S     O  ^     W 

1 

,,     S  o  3 

co  ^  ^  «2    0 

^   rt  _^J  'a  > 

nil! 

fo  O  QTJ  J>  PH 

if 1 1 


ilfill 

ifiliiill 

*>'rr|S1' 

§    8    S3 


NORTH    AMERICA.  41 

Hunter.  And  now,  place  before  you  a  map  of 
North  America.  See  how  it  stretches  out  north 
and  south  from  Baffin's  Bay  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexi 
co,  and  east  and  west  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  What  a  wonderful  work  of  the 
Almighty  is  the  rolling  deep !  "  The  sea/is  His, 
and  he  made  it :  and  his  hands  formed  the  dry 
land."  Here  are  the  great  Lakes  Superior,  Michi 
gan,  Huron,  Erie,  and  Ontario  ;  and  here  run  the 
mighty  rivers,  the  Mississippi,  the  Missouri,  the 
Ohio,  and  the  St.  Lawrence :  the  Mississippi 
itself  is  between  three  and  four  thousand  miles 
long. 

Basil.  What  a  river  !  Please  to  tell  us  what 
are  all  those  little  hills  running  along  there,  one 
above  another,  from  top  to  bottom. 

Hunter.  They  are  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Some 
regard  them  as  a  continuation  of  the  Andes  of 
South  America  ;  so  that,  if  both  are  put  together, 
they  will  make  a  chain  of  mountains  little  short 
of  nine  thousand  miles  long.  North  America, 
with  its  mighty  lakes,  rivers,  and  mountains,  its 
extended  valleys  and  prairies,  its  bluffs,  caverns, 
and  cataracts,  and,  more  than  all,  its  Indian  in 
habitants,  beavers,  buffaloes,  and  bisons,  will 
afford  us  something  to  talk  of  for  some  time  to 
come;  but  the  moment  you  are  tired  of  my  ac 
count,  we  will  stop. 

Jlustin.  We  shall  n-ever  be  tired ;  no,  not  if 
you  go  on  telling  us  something  every  time  we 
come,  for  a  whole  year.  But  do  tell  us,  how  did 
these  tribes  behave  to  )ou,  when  you  were  among 
them  ? 


42  THE  "INDIANS    OF 

Hunter.  I  have  not  a  word  of  complaint  to 
make.  The  Indians  have  been  represented  as 
treacherous,  dishonest,  reserved,  and  sour  in  theii 
disposition  ;  but,  instead  of  this,  I  have  found 
them  generally,  though  not  in  all  cases,  frank,  up 
right,  hospitable,  light-hearted,  and  friendly. 
Those  who  have  seen  Indians  smarting  under 
wrongs,  and  deprived,  by  deceit  and  force,  of 
their  lands,  hunting-grounds,  and  the  graves  of 
their  fathers,  may  have  found  them  otherwise : 
and  no  wonder ;  the  worm  that  is  trodden  on  will 
writhe ;  and  man,  unrestrained  by  Divine  grace, 
when  treated  with  injustice  and  cruelty,  will  turn 
on  his  oppressor. 

Austin.     Say  what  you  will,  I  like  the  Indians. 

Hunter.  That  there  is  much  of  evil  among 
Indians  is  certain  ;  much  of  ignorance,  unrestrain 
ed  passions,  cruelty,  and  revenge  :  but  they  have 
been  misrepresented  in  many  things.  I  had  bet 
ter  tell  you  the  names  of  some  of  the  chiefs  of  the 
tribes,  or  of  some  of  the  most  remarkable  men 
among  them. 

Jlustin.  Yes  ;  you  cannot  do  better.  Tell  us 
the  names  of  all  the  chiefs,  and  the  warriors,  and 
the  conjurors,  and  all  about  them. 

Hunter.  The  Blackfeet  Indians  are  a  very  war 
like  people;  Stu-mick-o-sucks  was  the  name  of 
their  chief. 

Austin.  Shi-mick-o-sucks !  What  a  name  !  Is 
there  any  meaning  in  it  ? 

Hunter.  0  yes.  It  means,  "  the  back  fat  of 
the  buffalo ;"  and  if  you  had  seen  him  and  Peh* 
to-pe-kiss,  "  the  ribs  of  the  eagle,"  another  chief 


NORTH    AMERICA.  43 

dressed  up  in  their  splendid  mantles,  buffaloes' 
horns,  ermine  tails,  and  scalp  locks,  you  would 
not  soon  have  turned  your  eyes  from  them. 

.  Brian.     Who  would  ever  be  called  by  such  a 
name  as  that  ?     The  back  fat  of  the  buffalo  ! 

Hunter.  The  Camanchees  are  famous  on  horse 
back.  There  is  no  tribe  among  the  Indians  that 
can  corne  up  to  them,  to  my  mind,  in  the  manage 
ment  of  a  horse,  and  the  use  of  the  lance  :  they 
are  capital  hunters.  The  name  of  their  chief  is 
E6-shah-?c6-nee9  or  "  the  bow  and  quiver."  I 
hardly  ever  saw  a  larger  man  among  the  Indians 
than  Ta-wdh-que-nah,  the  second  chief  in  power. 
Ta-wah-que-nah  means  "  the  mountain  of  rocks," 
a  very  fit  name  for  a  huge  Indian  living  near  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  When  I  saw  Kots-o-ko-ro-ko^ 
or  "  the  hair  of  the  bull's  neck,"  (who  is,  if  I  re 
member  right,  the  third  chief,)  he  had  a  gun  in 
his  right  hand,  and  his  warlike  shield  on  his  left 
arm. 

Jlustin.  If  I  go  among  the  Indians,  I  shall 
stay  a  long  time  with  the  Camanchees ;  and  then 
I  shall,  perhaps,  become  one  of  the  most  skilful 
horsemen,  and  one  of  the  best  hunters  in  the 
world. 

Brian.  And  suppose  you  get  thrown  off  your 
horse,  or  killed  in  hunting  buffaloes,  what  shall 
you  say  to  it  then  ? 

Austin.  Oh,  very  little,  if  I  get  killed  ;  but 
no  fear  of  that.  I  shall  mind  what  I  am  about, 
Tell  us  who  is  the  head  of  the  Sioux  ? 

Hunter.  When  I  was  at  the  upper  waters  of 
the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  rivers,  Ha-won-je~ 


44  THE   INDIANS    OF 


or  u  the  one  horn,"  was  chief;  but  since  then, 
being  out  among  the  buffaloes,  a  buffalo  bull  at 
tacked  and  killed  him. 

Basil.  There,  Austin  !  If  an  Indian  chief  was 
killed  by  a  buffalo,  what  should  you  do  among 
them  ?  Why  they  would  toss  you  over  their 
heads  like  a  shuttlecock. 

Hunter.  Wee-td-ra-sha-ro,  the  head  chief  of 
the  Pawnee  Picts,  is  dead  now,  I  dare  say  ;  for 
he  was  a  very  old,  as  wrell  as  a  very  venerable 
looking  man.  Many  a  buffalo  hunt  with  the  Ca- 
manchees  had  he  in  his  day,  and  many  a  time  did 
he  go  forth  with  them  in  their  war-parties.  He 
had  a  celebrated  brave  of  the  name  of  M-sho- 
cole,  or  "  rotten  foot,"  and  another  called  M-re,- 
kah-na-co-chee,  "  the  mad  elk."  Indians  give  the 
name  of  brave  to  a  warrior  who  has  distinguished 
himself  by  feats  of  valour,  such  as  admit  him  to 
their  rank. 

Brian.  I  wonder  that  they  should  choose 
such  long  names.  It  must  be  a  hard  matter  to  re 
member  them.  ' 

Hunter.  There  were  many  famous  men  among 
the  Sacs.  Kee-o-ku-k  was  the  chief.  Kee-o-kuk 
means  "the  running  fox."  One  of  his  boldest 
braves  was  Ma-ka-iai-me-she-kia-kiak,  "  the 
black  hawk."  The  history  of  this  renowned 
warrior  is  very  curious.  It  was  taken  down  from 
his  own  lips,  and  has  been  published.  If  you 
should  like  to  listen  to  the  adventures  of  Black 
Hawk,  I  will  relate  them  to  you  some  day,  when 
you  have  time  to  hear  them,  as  well  as  those  of 
young  Nik-ka-no-chee,  a  Seminole. 


NORTH    AMERICA.  45 

Austin.  We  will  not  forget  to  remind  you  of 
your  promise.  It  will  be  capital  to  listen  to  these 
histories. 

Hunter.  When  I  saw  Wa-saw-me-saw,  or  "  the 
roaring  thunder,"  the  youngest  son  of  Black 
Hawk,  he  was  in  captivity.  Nah-se-iis-kuk,  "  the 
whirling  thunder,"  his  eldest  son,  was  a  fine  look 
ing  man,  beautifully  formed,  with  a  spirit  like  that 
of  a  lion.  There  was  a  war  called  The  Black 
Hawk  war,  and  Black  Hawk  was  the  leader  and 
conductor  of  it ;  and  one  of  his  most  famous  war 
riors  was  Wah-pe-k£e-suck,  or  "  white  cloud  ;"  he 
was,  however,  as  often  called  The  Prophet  as  the 
White  Cloud.  Pam-a-ho,  "  the  swimmer  ;"  Wah- 
pa-ko-las-l&nk)  "  the  track  of  the  bear ;"  and  Pash- 
ce-pa-ho,  "  the  little  stabbing  chief ;"  were,  I  think, 
all  three  of  them  warriors  of  Black  Hawk. 

Basil.  The  Little  Stabbing  Chief!  He  must 
be  a  very  dangerous  fellow  to  go  near,  if  we  may 
judge  by  his  name  :  keep  away  from  him,  Austin, 
if  you  go  to  the  Sacs. 

Austin.  Oh !  he  would  never  think  of  stab 
bing  me.  I  should  behave  well  to  all  the  tribes, 
and  then  I  dare  say  they  would  all  of  them  be 
have  well  to  rne.  You  have  not  said  any  thing  of 
the  Crow  Indians. 

Hunter.  I  forget  who  was  at  the  head  of  the 
Crows,  though  I  well  remember  several  of  the 
warriors  among  them.  They  were  tall,  well-pro 
portioned,  and  dressed  with  a  great  deal  of  taste 
and  care.  Pa-ris-ka-roo-pa,  called  "  the  two 
crows,"  had  a  head  of  hair  that  swept  the  ground 
alter  him  as  he  walked  along. 


46  THE   INDIANS   OF 

Austin.  What  do  you  think  of  that,  Basil? 
No  doubt  the  Crows  are  fine  fellows.  Please  to 
mention  two  or  three  more. 

m  Hunter.  Let  me  see  ;  there  was  E£-hee-a-duck- 
chee-a,  or  "  he  who  binds  his  hair  before ;"  and 
Ho-ra-to-ahj  "  a  warrior  ;"  and  Chah-ee-chopes , 
"  the  four  wolves;"  the  hair  of  these  was  as  long 
as  that  of  Pa-ris-ka-roo-pa.  Though  they  were 
very  tall,  Ee-hee-a-duck-chee-a  being  at  least  six 
feet  high,  the  hair  of  each  of  them  reached  and 
rested  on  the  ground. 

Austin.  When  I  go  among  the  Indians,  the 
Crows  shall  not  be  forgotten  by  me.  I  shall  have 
plenty  to  tell  you  of,  Brian,  when  I  come  back. 

Brian.  Yes,  if  you  ever  do  come  back;  but 
what  with  the  sea,  and  the  rivers,  and  the •  swamps, 
and  the  bears,  and  the  buffaloes,  you  are  sure  to 
get  killed.  You  will  never  tell  us  about  the 
Crows,  or  about  any  thing  else. 

Hunter.  There  was  one  of  the  Crows  called 
The  Red  Bear,  or  Duhk-pits-o-ho-shee. 

Brian.  Duhk-pitch  a — Duck  pits — I  cannot 
pronounce  the  word — why  that  is  worse  to  speak 
than  any. 

Austin.  Hear  me  pronounce  it  then :  Duhk-pits- 
o-hoot-shee.  No  ;  that  is  not  quite  right,  but  very 
near  it. 

Basil.  You  must  not  go  among  the  Crows  yet, 
Austin  ;  you  cannot  talk  well  enough. 

Hunter.  Oh,  there  are  much  harder  names 
among  some  of  the  tribes  than  those  I  have  men 
tioned  :  for  instance  there  is  Au-nah-kwet-to-hau- 
j  "  the  one  sitting  in  the  clouds ;"  and 


NORTH   AMERICA.  47 

Eh-toJik-pay-she-pee-shahj  "the  black  mocassin  ;" 
and  Kay-ee-qua-da-kum-ee-gish-kurri)  "  he  who 
tries  the  ground  with  his  foot;"  and  Mah-to-rah- 
risn-nee-eeh-£e-rahj  "the  grizzly  bear  thafc  runs 
without  fear." 

Brian.  Why  these  names  are  as  long  as  fiom 
here  to  yonder.  Set  to  work,  Austin !  set  to  work  • 
For,  if  there  are  many  such  names  as  these 
among  the  Indians,  you  will  have  enough  to  do 
without  going  to  a  buffalo  hunt. 

Austin.  I  never  dreamed  that  there  were  such 
names  as  those  in  the  world. 

Basil.  Ay,  you  will  have  enough  of  them, 
Austin,  if  you  go  abroad.  You  will  never  be 
able  to  learn  them,  do  what  you  will.  Give  it 
up,  Austin ;  give  it  up  at  once. 

Though  Brian  and  Basil  were  very  hard  on 
Austin  on  their  way  home,  about  the  long  names 
of  the  Indians,  and  the  impossibility  of  his  ever 
being  able  to  learn  them  by  heart,  Austin  defended 
himself  stoutly.  "Very  likely,"  said  he,  "after 
all,  they  call  these  long  names  very  short,  just  as 
we  do;  Nat  for  Nathaniel,  Kit  for  Christopher, 
and  Elic  for  Alexander." 


48 


THE    INDIANS    OF 


Wigwams. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

IT  was  not  long  before  Austin,  Brian,  and 
Basil  were  again  listening  to  the  interesting  ac 
counts  given -by  their  friend,  the  hunter;  and  it 
would  have  been  a  difficult  point  to  decide  whether 
the  listeners  or  the  narrator  derived  most  pleasure 
from  their  occupation.  Austin  began  without 
delay  to  speak  of  the  aborigines  of  North  America. 

"  We  want  to  know,"  said  he,  "  a  little  more 
about  what  these  people  were,  and  when  they 
were  first  found  out." 

Hunter.  When  America  was  first  discovered, 
the  inhabitants,  though  for  the  most  part  partaking 
of  one  general  character,  were  not  without  variety. 
The  greater  part,  as  I  told  you,  were,  both  in  hot 


NORTH    AMERICA.  49 

and  cold  latitudes,  red  men  with  black  hair,  and 
without  beards.  They,  perhaps,  might  have  been 
divided  into  four  parts :  the  Mexicans  and  Peru 
vians,  who  were,  to  a  considerable  extent,  civi 
lized  ;  the  Caribs,  who  inhabited  the  fertile  soil 
and  luxuriant  clime  of  the  West  Indies ;  the  Esqui 
maux,  who  were  then  just  the  same  people  as 
they  are  now,  living  in  the  same  manner  by 
fishing ;  and  the  Red  Men,  or  North  American 
Indians. 

Austin.  Then  the  Esquimaux  are  not  Red 
Indians. 

Hunter.  No ;  they  are  more  like  the  people 
who  live  in  Lapland,  and  in  the  North  of  Asia ; 
and  for  this  reason,  and  because  the  distance 
across  Behring's  Straits  is  so  short,  it  is  thought 
they  came  from  Asia,  and  are  a  part  of  the  same 
people.  The  red  men  are,  however,  different : 
and  as  we  agreed  that  I  should  tell  you  about  the 
present  race  of  them,  perhaps  I  may  as  well  pro 
ceed. 

Austin.  Yes.  Please  to  tell  us  first  of  their 
wigwams,  and  their  villages,  and  how  they  live. 

Brian.  And  what  they  eat,  and  what  clothes 
they  wear. 

Basil.     And  how  they  talk  to  one  another. 

Jlustin.  Yes ;  and  all  about  their  spears  and 
tomahawks. 

Hunter.  The  wigwams  of  the  Indians  are  of 
different  kinds:  some  are  extremely  simple,  being 
formed  of  high  sticks  or  poles,  covered  with  turf 
or  the  bark  of  trees ;  while  others  are  very  hand 
some.  The  Sioux,  the  Blackfeet,  and  the  Crows, 


50  THE    INDIANS    OF 

form  their  wigwams  nearly  in  the  same  manner ; 
that  is,  by  sewing  together  the  skins  of  buffaloes, 
after  properly  dressing  them,  and  making  them 
into  the  form  of  a  tent.  This  covering  is  then 
supported  by  poles.  The  tent  has  a  hole  at  the 
top,  to  let  out  the  smoke,  and  to  let  in  the  light. 

Jlustin.  Ay,  that  fs  a  better  way  of  making  a 
wigwam  than  covering  over  sticks  with  turf. 

Hunter.  The  wigwams,  or  lodges,  of.  the  Man- 
dans  are  round.  A  circular  foundation  is  dug 
about  two  feet  deep ;  timbers  six  feet  high  are  set 
up  all  around  it,  and  on  these  are  placed  other 
long  timbers,  slanting  inwards,  and  fastened  to 
gether  in  the  middle,  like  a  tent,  leaving  space  for 
light  and  for  the  smoke  to  pass.  This  tent-like  roof 
is  supported  by  beams  and  upright  posts,  and  it  is 
covered  over  outwardly  by  willow  boughs  and  a 
thick  coating  of  earth ;  then  comes  the  last  cover 
ing  of  hard  tough  clay.  The  sun  bakes  this,  and 
long  use  makes  it  solid.  The  outside  of  a  Mandan 
lodge  is  almost  as  useful  as  the  inside  ;  for  there 
the  people  sit,  stand,  walk,  and  take  the  air. 
Hhese  lodges  are  forty,  fifty,  or  sixty  feet  wide. 

Brian.  The  Mandan  wigwam  is  the  best  of  all. 

Hunter.  Wigwams,  like  those  of  the  Mandans, 
which  are  always  in  the  same  place,  and  are  not 
intended  to  be  removed,  are  more  substantial  than 
such  as  may  be  erected  and  taken  dowrn  at  plea 
sure.  Some  of  the  wigwams  of  the  Crow  Indians, 
covered  as  they  are  with  skins  dressed  almost 
white,  and  ornamented  with  paint,  porcupine 
quills  and  scalp-locks,  are  very  beautiful. 

Austin.  Yes ;  they  must  look  even  better  than 


NORTH   AMERICA.  51 

.he  Mandan  lodges,  and  they  can  be  taken  down 
and  carried  away. 

Hunter.  It  would  surprise  you  to  witness  the 
manner  in  which  an  encampment  of  Crows  or 
Sioux  strike  their  tents  or  wigwams.  I  have  seen 
several  hundred  lodges  all  standing ;  in  two  or 
three  minutes  after,  all  werelfct  upon  the  prairie. 

Jlustin.  Why,  it  must  be  like  magic. 

Hunter.  The  time  has  been  fixed,  preparations 
made,  the  signal  given,  and  all  at  once  the  poles 
and  skin  coverings  have  been  taken  down. 

Brian.  How  do  they  carr^the  wigwams  away 
with  them  ? 

Hunter.  The  poles  are  dragged  along  by  horses 
tind  by  dogs  ;  the  smaller  ends  being  fastened 
)ver  their  shoulders,  while  on  the  larger  ends, 
-dragging  along  the  ground,  are  placed  the  cover- 
ngs,  rolled  up  together.  The  dogs  pull  along 
two  poles,  each  with  a  load,  while  the  horses  are 
taxed  according  to  their  strength.  Hundreds  of 
horses  and  dogs,  thus  dragging  their  burdens, 
may  be  seen  slowly  moving  over  the  prairie  with 
attendant  Indians  on  horseback,  and  women  and 
girls  on  foot  heavily  laden. 

Brian.  What  a  sight !  and  to  what  length  they 
must  stretch  out ;  such  a  number  of  them  ! 

Hunter.  Some  of  their  villages  are  large,  and 
fortified  with  two  rows  of  high  poles  round  them 
A  Pawnee  Pict  village  on  th?  Red  River,  with  its 
five  or  six   hundred    beehive-like  wigwams  of 
poles,  thatched  with  prairie  grass,  much  pleased 
me.     Round  the  village  there  were  fields  of  maize 
melons  and  pumpkins  growing. 


52  THE   INDIANS    OF 

The  Indians  hunt,  fish,  and  some  of  them  raise 
corn  for  food ;  but  the  flesh  of  the  buffalo  is  what 
they  most  depend  upon. 

Austin.  How  do  the  Indians  cook  their  food  ? 

Hunter.  They  broil  or  roast  meat  and  fish,  by 
laying  it  on  the  fire,  or  on  sticks  raised  above  the 
fire.  They  boil  mJfc,  also,  making  of  it  a  sort 
of  soup.  I  have  often  seated  myself,  squatting 
down  on  a  robe  spread  for  me,  to  a  fine  joint  of 
buffalo  ribs,  admirably  roasted  ;  with,  perhaps,  a 
pudding-like  paste  of  the  prairie  turnip,  flavoured 
with  buffalo  berries* 

Austin.  That  is  a  great  deal  like  an  English 
dinner — roast  beef  and  a  pudding. 

Hunter.  The  Indians  eat  a  great  deal  of  green 
corn,  pemican,  and  marrow  fat.  The  pemican  is 
buffalo  meat,  dried  hard,  and  pounded  in  a 
wooden  mortar.  Marrow  fat  is  what  is  boiled 
out  of  buffalo  bones ;  it  is  usually  kept  in  blad 
ders.  They  eat,  also,  the  flesh  of  the  deer  and 
other  animals :  that  of  the  dog  is  reserved  for 
feasts  and  especial  occasions.  They  have,  also, 
beans  and  peas,  peaches,  melons  and  strawberries, 
pears,  pumpkins,  chinkapins,  walnuts  and  chest 
nuts.  These  things  they  can  get  when  settled  in 
their  villages  ;  but  when  wandering,  or  on  their 
war  parties,  they  take  up  with  what  they  can  find. 
They  *iever  eat  salt  with  their  food. 

Basil.  And  what  kind  of  clothes  do  they  wear  ? 

Hunter.  Principally  skins,  unless  they  trade 
with  the  \vhites,  in  which  case  they  buy  clothes 
of  different  kinds.  Some  wear  long  hair,  some 
cut  their  hair  off  and  shave  the  head.  Seme 


NORTH   AMERICA.  53 

dress  themselves  with  very  few  ornaments,  but 
others  have  very  many.  Shall  I  describe  to  you 
the  full  dress  of  Mah-to-toh-pa,  "the  four  bears." 

Austin.  Oh,  yes;  every  thing  belonging  to 
him. 

Hunter.  You  must  imagine,  then,  that  he  is 
standing  up  before  you,  while  I  describe  him,  and 
that  he  is  not  a  little  proud  of  his  costly  attire. 

Austin.  I  fancy  that  I  can  see  him  now. 

Hunter.  His  robe  was  the  soft  skin  of  a  young 
buffalo  bull.  On  one  side  was  the  fur ;  on  the 
other,  were  pictured  the  victories  he  had  won. 
His  shirt,  or  tunic,  was  made  of  the  skins  of  moun 
tain  sheep,  ornamented  with  porcupine  quills  and 
paintings  of  his  battles.  From  the  edge  of  his 
shoulder-band  hung  the  long  black  locks  that  he 
had  taken  with  his  own  hand  from  his  enemies. 
His  head-dress  was  of  war-eagle  quills,  falling 
down  his  back  to  his  very  feet ;  on  the  top  of  his 
head  stood  a  pair  of  buffalo  horns,  shaven  thin, 
and  polished  beautifully. 

Brian.  What  a  figure  he  must  have  made  ! 

Hunter.  His  leggings  were  tight,  decorated  with 
porcupine  quills  and  scalp  locks  :  they  were  made 
of  the  finest  deer  skins,  and  fastened  to  a  belt  round 
the  waist.  His  mocassins,  or  shoes,  were  buck* 
skin,  embroidered  in  the  richest  manner ;  and  his 
necklace,  the  skin  of  an  otter,  having  on  it  fifty 
huge  claws,  or  rather  talons,  of  the  grizzly  bear. 

Austin.  What  a  desperate  fellow !  Bold  as  a 
lion,  I  will  be  bound  for  it.  Had  he  no  weapons 
about  him  ?  . 

Hunter.  Oh,  yes!     He  held  v>  his  left  hand  a 


54  THE    INDIANS    OF 

two-edged  spear  of  polished  steel,  with  a  shaft  of 
tough  ash,  and  ornamented  with  tufts  of  war* 
eagle  quills.  His  bow,  beautifully  white,  was 
formed  of  bone,  strengthened  with  the  sinews  of 
deer,  drawn  tight  over  the  back  of  it ;  the  bow 
string  was  a  three-fold  twist  of  sinews.  Seldom 
had  its  twang  been  heard,  without  an  enemy  or  a 
buffalo  falling  to  the  earth  ;  and  rarely  had  that 
lance  been  urged  home,  without  finding  its  way 
to  some  victim's  heart. 

Austin.  Yes  ;  I  thought  he  was  a  bold  fellow. 

Hunter.  He  had  a  costly  shield  of  the  hide  of 
a  buffalo,  stiffened  with  glue  and  fringed  round 
with  eagle  quills  and  antelope  hoofs  ;  and  a  quiver 
of  panther  skin,  well  filled  with  deadly  shafts. 
Some  of  their  points  were  flint,  and  some  were 
steel,  and  most  of  them  were  stained  with  blood. 
He  carried  a  pipe,  a  tobacco  sack,  a  belt,  and  a 
medicine  bag;  and  in  his  right  hand  he  held  a 
war  club  like  a  sling,  being  made  of  a  round 
stone  wrapped  up  in  a  raw  hide  and  fastened  to  a 
tough  stick  handle. 

Austin.  What  sort  of  a  pipe  was  it  ? 

Basil.  What  was  in  his  tobacco  sack  ? 

Brian.  You  did  not  say  what  his  belt  was 
made  of. 

Hunter.  His  pipe  was  made  of  red  pipe-stone, 
and  it  had  a  stem  of  young  ash,  full  three  feet 
long,  braided  with  porcupine  quills  in  the  shape 
of  animals  and  men.  It  was  also  ornamented 
with  the  beaks  of  woodpeckers,  and  hairs  from 
the  tail  of  the  white  buffalo.  One  thing  I  ought 
on  the  lower  half  of  the  pipe,  which 


NORTH    AMERICA.  55 

was  painted  red,  were  notched  the  snows,  or  years 
of  his  life.  By  this  simple  record  of  their  lives, 
the  red  men  of  the  forest  and  the  prairie  may  be 
led  to  something  like  reflection. 

Basil.     What  was  in  his  tobacco  sack  ? 

Hunter.  His  flint  and  steel,  for  striking  a  light, 
ai/d  his  tobacco,  which  was  nothing  more  than 
the  bark  of  the  red  willow.  His  medicine  bag 
was  beaver  skin,  adorned  with  ermine  and  hawks' 
bills  ;  and  his  belt,  in  which  he  carried  his  toma 
hawk  and  scalping-knife,  was  formed  of  tough 
buckskin,  firmly  fastened  round  his  loin-s. 

Jlustin.  Please  to  tell  us  about  the  scalping 
knife.  It  must  be  a  fearful  instrument. 

Hunter.  All  instruments  of  cruelty,  vengeance 
and  destruction  are  fearful,  whether  in  savage  or 
civilized  life.  What  are  we,  that  wrath  and  re 
venge  and  covetousness  should  be  fostered  in  our 
hearts !  What  is  man,  that  he  should  shed  the 
blood  of  his  brother !  Before  the  Indians  had  deal 
ing  with  the  whites,  they  made  their  own  weapons  : 
their  bows  were  strung  with  the  sinews  of  deer ; 
their  arrows  were  headed  with  flint ;  their  knives 
were  sharpened  bone  ;  their  war-clubs  were  formed 
of  wood,  cut  into  different  shapes,  and  armed 
with  sharp  stones  ;  and  their  tomahawks,  or 
hatchets,  were  of  ttyg  same  materials :  but  now, 
many  of  their  weapons,  such  as  hatchets,  spear 
heads,  and  knives,  are  made  of  iron,  being  pro 
cured  from  the  whites,  in  exchange  for  the  skins 
they  obtain  in  the  chase.  A  scalping-knife  is 
oftentimes  no  more  than  a  rudely  formed  butcher's 


56  THE   INDIANS   OF 

knife,  with  one  edge,  and  the  Indians  wear  them 
m  beautiful  scabbards  under  their  belts. 

Austin.    How  does  an  Indian  scalp  his  enemy  ? 

Hunter.  The  hair  on  the  crown  of  the  head 
is  seized  with  the  left  hand  ;  the  knife  makes  a 
circle  round  it  through  the  skin,  and  then  the  hair 
and  skin  together,  sometimes  with  the  hand,  and 
sometimes  with  the  teeth,  are  forcibly  torn  off!  The 
scalp  may  be,  perhaps,  as  broad  as  my  hand. 

Brian.  Terrible  !  Scalping  would  be  sure  to 
kill  a  man.,  I  suppose. 

Hunter.  Not  always.  Scalps  are  war  trophies, 
and  are  generally  regarded  as  proofs  of  the  death 
of  an  enemy  ;  but  an  Indian,  inflamed  with  hatred 
and  rage,  and  excited  by  victory,  will  not  always 
wait  till  his  foe  has  expired  before  he  scalps  him. 
The  hair,  as  well  as  the  scalp,  of  a  fallen  foe  is 
carried  off  by  the  victorious  Indian,  and  with  it 
his  clothes  are  afterwards  ornamented.  It  is  said, 
that,  during  the  old  French  war,  an  Indian  slew 
a  Frenchman  who  wore  a  wig.  The  warrior 
stooped  down,  and  seized  the  hair  for  the  purpose 
of  securing  the  scalp.*  To  his  great  astonishment, 
the  wig  came  ofT,  leaving  the  head  bare.  The 
Indian  held  it  up,  and  examining  it  with  great 
wonder,  exclaimed,  in  broken  English,  "  Dat  one 
big  lie." 

Brian.     How  the  Indian  would  stare ! 

Basil.  He  had  never  seen  a  wig  before,  I 
dare  say. 

Hunter.  The  arms  of  Indians,  offensive  and 
defensive,  are,  for  the  most  part,  those  which  I 
have  mentioned — the  club,  the  tomahawk,  the  bow 


NORTH   AMERICA. 


57 


and  arrow,  the  spear,  the  shield  and  the  scalping- 
knife.  But  the  use  of  fire-arms  is  gradually  ex 
tending  among  them.  Some  of  their  clubs  are 
merely  massy  pieces  of  hard,  heavy  wood,  nicely 
fitted  to  the  hand,  with,  perhaps,  a  piece  of  hard 
bone  stuck  in  the  head  part ;  others  are  curiously 
carved  into  fanciful  and  uncouth  shapes  ;  while, 
occasionally,  may  be  seen  a  frightful  war-club, 
knobbed  all  over  with  brass  nails,  with  a  steel 
blade  at  the  end  of  it,  a  span  long. 

Awtin.     What  a  terrible  weapon,  when  wield 
ed  by  a  savage ! 


a,  scalping-knife.    6,  ditto,  in  sheath, 

clubs,     e,  e,  tomahawks,    g,  whip. 

Brian.  I  would  not  go  among  the  Indians, 
with  their  clubs  and  tomahawks,  for  a  thousand 
dollars. 

Basil.  Nor  would  I :  they  would  be  sure  to 
kill  me. 

Hunter.  The  tomahawk  is  often  carved  in  a 
strange  manner ;  and  some  of  the  bows  and  ar- 


58  THE    INDIANS    OF 

rows  are  admirable.  The  bow  formed  of  bone 
and  strong  sinews  is  a  deadly  weapon  ;  and  some 
Indians  have  boasted  of  having  sent  an  arrow 
from  its  strings  right  through  the  body  of  a  buffalo. 

JLustin.  What  a  strong  arm  that  Indian  must 
have  had  !  Through  a  buffalo's  body ! 

Hunter.  The  quiver  is  made  of  the  skin  of 
the  panther,  or  the  otter  ;  and  some  of  the  arrows 
it  contains  are  usually  poisoned. 

Brian.  Why,  then,  an  arrow  is  sure  to  kill  a 
person,  if  it  hits  him. 

Hunter.  It  is  not  likely  that  an  enemy,  badly 
wounded  with  a  poisoned  arrow,  will  survive ;  for 
the  head  is  set  on  loosely,  in  order  that,  when  the 
arrow  is  withdrawn,  the  poisoned  barb  may  re 
main  in  the  wound.  How  opposed  are  these  cruel 
stratagems  of  war  to  the  precepts  of  the  gospel 
of  peace,  which  are  "  Love  your  enemies,  bless 
them  that  curse  you,  do  good  to  them  that  hate 
you,  and  pray  for  them  which  despitefully  use  you, 
and  persecute  you!" 

Basil.  What  will  you  do,  Austin,  if  you  go 
among  the  Indians,  and  they  shoot  you  with  a 
poisoned  arrow  ? 

Austin.  Oh,  I  shall  carry  a  shield.  You 
heard  that  the  Indians  carry  shields. 

Hunter.  The  shields  of  the  Crows  and  Black- 
feet  are  made  of  the  thick  skin  of  the  buffalo's 
neck :  they  are  made  as  hard  as  possible,  by 
smoking  them,  and  by  putting  glue  upon  them 
obtained  from  the  hoofs  of  animals ;  so  that  they 
will  not  only  turn  aside  an  arrow,  but  even  a 
musket  ball,  if  they  are  held  a  little  obliquely. 


NORTH    AMERICA.  59 

Austin.  There,  Basil !  You  see  that  I  shall  be 
safe,  after  all ;  for  I  shall  carry  a  large  shield,  and 
the  very  hardest  I  can  get  anywhere. 

Hunter.  Their  spears  have  long,  slender  handles, 
with  steel  heads :  the  handles  are  a  dozen  feet 
long,  or  more,  and  very  skilful  are  they  in  the  use 
of  them  ;  and  yet,  such  is  the  dread  of  the  Indian 
when  opposed  to  a  white  man,  that,  in  spite  of 
his  war  horse  and  his  eagle  plumes,  his  bow  and 
well-filled  quiver,  his  long  lance,  tomahawk  and 
scalping-knife,  his  self-possession  forsakes  him 
He  has  heard,  if  not  seen,  what  the  white  man 
has  done ;  and  he  thinks  there  is  no  standing  be 
fore  him.  If  he  can  surprise  him,  he  will ;  but, 
generally,  the  red  man  fears  to  grapple  with  a  pa*le 
face  in  the  strife  of  war,  for  he  considers  him 
clothed  with  an  unknown  power. 

Jlustin.  I  should  have  thought  that  an  In 
dian  would  be  more  than  a  match  for  a  white 
man. 

Hunter.  So  long  as  he  can  crawl  in  the  grass 
or  brushwood,  and  steal  silently  upon  him  by  sur 
prise,  or  send  a  shaft  from  his  bow  from  behind  a 
tree,  or  a  bullet  from  his  rifle  from  the  brow  of  a 
bluff,  he  has  an  advantage  ;  but,  when  he  comes 
face  to  face  with  the  white  man,  he  is  super- 
stitiously  afraid  of  him.  The  power  of  the  white 
man,  in  war,  is  that  of  bravery  and  skill ;  the 
power  of  the  red  man  consists  much  in  stratagem 
and  surprise.  Fifty  white  men,  armed,  on  an 
open  plain,  would  beat  off  a  hundred  red  men. 

Brian.  Why  is  it  that  the  red  men  are  always 
fighting  against  one  another  ?  They  are  all 


60  THE    INDIANS    OF 

brothers,  and  what  is  the  use  of  their  killing  one 
another  ? 

Hunter.  Most  of  the  battles,  among  the  Indians, 
are  brought  about  by  the  belief  that  they  are  bound 
to  reverse  an  injury  to  their  tribe.  There  can  be 
no  peace  till  revenge  is  taken ;  they  are  almost 
always  retaliating  one  on  another.  Then,  again, 
the  red  men  have  too  often  been  tempted,  bribed, 
and,  in  some  cases,  forced  to  fight  for  the  white 
man. 

Brian.  That  is  very  sad,  though. 

Hunter.  It  is  sad  ;  but  when  you  say  red  men 
are  brothers,  are  not  \vhite  men  brothers  too  ? 
And  have  they  not  been  instructed  in  the  truths 
of  Christianity,  and  the  gospel  of  peace,  which 
red  men  have  not,  and  yet  how  ready  they  are  to 
draw  the  sword !  War  springs  from  sinful  passions ; 
and  until  sin  is  subdued  in  the  human  heart,  war 
will  ever  be  congenial  to  it. 

Austin.  What  do  the  Indians  call  the  sun  ? 

Hunter.  The  different  tribes  speak  different  lan 
guages,  and  therefore  you  must  tell  me  which  of 
them  you  mean. 

Austin.  Oh  !  I  forgot  that.  Tell  me  what  any 
two  or  three  of  the  tribes  call  it. 

Hunter.  A  Sioux  calls  it  wee  ;  a  Mandan,  me- 
nahka ;  a  Tuscarora,  hi  day ;  and  a  Blackfoot, 
cristeque  ahtose. 

Austin.  The  Blackfoot  is  the  hardest  to  remem 
ber.  I  should  not  like  to  learn  that  language. 

Brian.  But  you  must  learn  it,  if  you  go  among 
them  ;  or  else  you  will  not  understand  a  word 
they  say. 


NORTH    AMERICA.  O 

Austin.  Well !  I  shall  manage  it  somehow  or 
other.     Perhaps  some  of  them  may  know  English  ; 
or  we  may  make  motions  one  to  another.     Wha1« 
do  they  call  the  moon  ? 

Hunter.  A  Blackfoot  calls  it  coque  r  Jt/Jose  ;  a 
Sioux,  on  wee  ;  a  Riccaree,  wetah  ;  a  Mandan,  esto 
menahka;  and  a  Tuscarora,  autsunyehaw. 

Brian.  I  wish  you  joy  of  the  languages  you 
\      •      •  f  i  i 

have  to  learn,  Austin,  if  you  become  a  wood- 
ranger,  or  a  trapper.  Remember,  you  must  learn 
them  all ;  and  you  will  have  quite  enough  to  do, 
I  warrant  you. 

Austin.  Oh!  I  shall  learn  a  little  at  a  time. 
We  cannot  do  every  thing  at  once.  What  do  the 
red  men  call  a  buffalo  ? 

Hunter.  In  Riccaree,  it  is  watash  ;  in  Mandan, 
ptemday ;  in  Tuscarora,  liohats ;  in  Blackfoot, 
eneuh. 

Basil.  What  different  names  they  give  them ! 

Hunter.  Yes.  In  some  instances  they  are  alike, 
but  generally  they  differ.  If  you  were  to  say 
"How  do  you  do?"  as  is  the  custom  with  us; 
you  must  say  among  the  Indians,  How  ke  che 
wa  ?  Chee  na  e  num  ?  Dati  youtha.y  its  ?  or, 
Tush  hah  thah  mah  kah  hush*?  according  to  the 
language  in  which  you  spoke.  I  hardly  think 
these  languages  would  suit  you  so  well  as  your 
own. 

Brian.  They  would  never  suit  me  ;  but  Austin 
must  learn  every  word  of  them. 

Austin.  Please  to  tell  us  how  to  count  ten,  and 
then  we  will  ask  you  no  more  about  languages, 
Let  it  be  in  the  language  of  the  Riccarees. 


62  THE   INDIANS   OF 

Hunter.  Very  well.  Asco,  pitco,  tow  wit,  tehee 
tish,  tehee  hoo,  tcha  pis,  to  tchapis,  to  tcha  pis  won, 
mnah  e  ne  won,  nah  en.  I  will  just  add,  that  weetah, 
is  twenty  ;  nahen  tehee  hoo,  is  fifty ;  nah  en  te  tcha 
pis  won,  is  eighty ;  shok  tan,  is  a  hundred  ;  and 
sho  tan  tera  hoo,  is  a  thousand. 

Austin.  Can  the  Indians  write  ? 

Hunter.  Oh  no ;  they  have  no  use  for  pen  and 
ink,  excepting  some  of  the  tribes  near  the  whites. 
In  many  of  the  different  treaties  which  have  been 
made  between  the  white  and  the  red  man,  the 
latter  has  put,  instead  of  his  name,  a  rough  draw 
ing  of  the  animal  or  thing  after  which  he  had  been 
called.  If  the  Indian  chief  was  named  "  War 
hatchet,"  he  made  a  rough  outline  of  a  tomahawk. 
If  his  name  was  "  The  great  buffalo  "  then  the 
outline  of  a  buffalo  was  his  signature. 

Basil.  How  curious ! 

Hunter.  The  Big  turtle,  the  Fish,  the  Scalp, 
the  Arrow,  and  the  Big  canoe,  all  draw  the  form 
represented  by  their  names  in  the  same  manner. 
If  you  were  to  see  these  signatures,  you  would 
not  think  these  Indian  chiefs  had  ever  taken  les 
sons  in  drawing. 

Brian.  I  dare  say  their  fish,  and  arrows,  and 
hatchets,  and  turtles,  and  buffaloes,  are  cornica] 
figures  enough. 

Hunter.  Yes:  but  the  hands  that  make  these 
feeble  scrawls  are  strong,  when  they  wield  the 
bow  or  the  tomahawk.  A  white  man  in  the  In 
dian  country,  according  to  a  story  that  is  told 
met  a  Shawnese  riding  a  horse,  which  he  re 
cognised  as  his  own,  and  claimed  it  as  his  pro- 


NORTH    AMERICA.  63 

perty.  The  Indian  calmly  answered:  "Friend, 
after  a  little  while  I  will  call  on  you  at  your  house, 
when  we  will  talk  this  matter  over."  A  few 
days  afterwards,  the  Indian  came  to  the  white 
man's  house,  who  insisted  on  having  his  horse 
restored  to  him.  The  other  then  told  him : 
"  Friend,  the  horse  which  you  claim  belonged  to 
my  uncle,  who  lately  died ;  according  to  the 
Indian  custom,  I  have  become  heir  to  all  his  pro 
perty."  The  white  man  not  being  satisfied,  and 
renewing  his  demand,  the  Indian  immediately  took 
a  coal  from  the  fire-place,  and  made  two  striking 
figures  on  the  door  of  the  house  ;  the  one  repre 
senting  the  white  man  taking  the  horse,  and  the 
other  himself  in  the  act  of  scalping  him  :  then  he 
coolly  asked  the  trembling  claimant  whether  he 
could  read  this  Indian  writing.  The  matter  was 
thus  settled  at  once,  and  the-  Indian  rode  off. 

Austin.  Ay ;  the  white  man  knew  that  he  had 
better  give  up  the  horse  than  be  scalped. 

After  the  hunter  had  told  Austin  and  his 
brothers  that  he  should  be  sure  to  have  something 
new  to  tell  them  on  their  next  visit,  they  took  their 
departure,  having  quite  enough  to  occupy  theii 
minds  till  they  reached  home. 


64 


THE   INDIANS   OF 


CHAPTER   V. 

"BLACK  HAWK!  Black  Hawk!"  cried  out 
Austin  Edwards,  as  he  came  in  sight  of  the 
hunter,  who  was  just  returning  to  his  cottage  as 
Austin  and  his  brothers  reached  it.  "  You 
promised  to  tell  us  all  about  Black  Hawk,  and  we 
are  come  to  hear  it  now." 

The  hunter  told  the  boys  that  it  had  been  his 
intention  to  talk  with  them  about  the  prairies  and 
bluffs,  and  to  have  described  the  wondrous  works 
of  God  in  the  wilderness.  It  appeared,  however, 
that  Austin's  heart  was  too  mu^h  set  on  hearing 


NORTH    AMERICA.  65 

the  history  of  Black  Hawk,  to  listen  patiently  to 
any  thing  else  ;  and  the  hunterr  perceiving  this, 
willingly  agreed  to  gratify  him.  He  told  them, 
that,  in  reading  or  hearing  the  history  of  Indian 
chiefs,  they  must  not  be  carried  away  by  false  no 
tions  of  their  valour,  for  that  it  was  always  mingled 
with  much  cruelty.  The  word  of  God  said  truly, 
that  "  the  dark  places  of  the  earth  are  full  of  the 
habitations  of  cruelty."*  "  With  untaught  In 
dians,"  continued  he,  u  revenge  is  virtue ;  and  to 
tomahawk  an  enemy,  and  tear  away  his  scalp,  is 
the  noblest  act  he  can  perform  in  his  own  estima 
tion  ;  whereas  Christians  are  taught,  as  I  said  be 
fore,  to  forgive  and  love  their  enemies.  But  J 
will  now  begin  the  history  of  Black  Hawk.", 

Austin.  Suppose  you  tell  us  his  history  just  as  he 
would  tell  it  himself.  Speak  to  us  as  if  you  were 
Black  Hawk,  and  we  will  not  say  a  single  word. 

Hunter.  Very  well.  Then,  for  a  while,  I  will 
be  Black  Hawk,  and  what  I  tell  you  will  be  true, 
only  the  words  will  be  my  own,  instead  of  those 
of  the  Indian  chief.  And  I  will  speak  as  if  I 
spoke  to  American  white  men. 

"  I  am  an  old  man,  the  changes  of  many  moons 
and  the  toils  of  war  have  made  me  old.  I  have 
been  a  conqueror,  and  I  have  been  conquered: 
many  moons  longer  I  cannot  hope  to  live. 

"  I  have  hated  the  whites,  but  have  been  treated 
well  by  them  when  a  prisoner.  I  wish,  before  I 
go  my  long  journey,  at  the  command  of  the  Great 
Spirit,  to  the  hunting  grounds  of  my  fathers  in 

*Ps  Ixxiv.  20. 


66  THE    INDIANS    OF 

another  world,  to  tell  my  history;  it  .will  then  be 
seen  why  I  hated  the  whites.  Bold  and  proud 
was  I  once,  in  my  native  forests,  but  the  pale  faces 
deceived  me ;  it  was  for  this  that  I  hated  them. 

"  Would  you  know  where  I  was  born  ?  I  will 
tell  you.  It  was  at  the  Sac  village  on  Rock  River. 
This  was,  according  to  white  man's  reckoning, 
in  the  year  1767,  so  that  I  am  fifty  years  old,  and 
ten  and  seven. 

"  My  father's  name  was  Py-e-sa  ;  the  father  of 
his  father  was  Na-na-ma-kee,  or  Thunder.  I  was 
a  brave,  and  afterwards  a  chief,  a  leading  war- 
chief,  carrying  the  medicine  bag.  I  'fought  against 
the  Osages.  .Did  I  fear  them  ?  No.  Did  I  often 
win  the  victory  ?  I  did. 

"  The  white  men  of  America  said  to  the  Sacs 
and  Foxes,  to  the  Sioux,  the  Chippewas,  and 
Winnebagoes,  c  Go  you  to  the  other  side  of  the 
Mississippi;'  and  they  said,  '  Yes.'  But  I  said, 
'  No :  why  should  I  leave  the  place  where  our 
wigwams  stand,  where  we  have  hunted  for  so 
many  moons,  and  where  the  bones  of  our  fathers 
have  rested  ?  Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak,  or  Black 
Hawk,  will  not  go.' 

"  My  heart  told  me  that  my  great  white  father, 
the  chief  of  America,  would  not  do  wrong  ;  would 
not  make  me  go  to  the  other  side  of  the  river. 
My  prophet  also  told  me  the  same.  I  felt  my  arm 
strong,  and  I  fought.  Never  did  the  hand  of 
Black  Hawk  kill  woman  or  child.  They  were 
warriors  that  Black  Hawk  fought  with. 

"  Though  I  came  down  from  the  chief  Na-na- 
ma-kee,  yet  my  people  would  not  let  me  dress  like 


NORTH   AMERICA.  67 

a  chief.  I  did  not  paint  myself;  I  did  not  wear 
feathers ;  but  I  was  bold  and  not  afraid  to  fight, 
so  I  became  a  brave 

"  The  Osages  were  our  enemies,  and  I  went 
with  my  father  and  many  more  to  fight.  I  saw 
my  father  kill  an  enemy,  and  tear  away  the.  scalp 
from  his  head.  I  felt  determined  to  do  the  same. 
I  pleased  my  father ;  for,  with  my  tomahawk  and 
spear,  I  rushed  on  an  enemy.  I  brought  back 
his  scalp  in  my  hand. 

"  I  next  led  on  seven  of  our  people  against  a 
hundred  Osages,  and  killed  one.-  After  that,  I 
led  on  two  hundred,  when  we  killed  a  hundred, 
and  took  many  scalps.  In  a  battle  with  the  Che- 
rokees  my  father  was  killed.  I  painted  my  face 
black,  and  prayed  to  the  Great  Spirit,  and  did  not 
fight  any  more  for  five  years  ;  all  that  I  did  was 
to  hunt  and  to  fish. 

"  The  Osages  had  done  us  great  wrong,  so  we 
were  determined  to  destroy  them.  I  set  off,  in  the 
third  moon,  at  the  head  of  five  hundred  Sacs  and 
Foxes,  and  one  hundred  loways.  We  fell  upon 
forty  lodges.  I  made  two  of  their  squaws  prison 
ers,  but  all  the  rest  of  the  people  in  the  lodges  we 
killed.  Black  Hawk  killed  seven  men  himself. 
In  a  battle  with  the  Cherokees,  I  killed  thirteen 
of  their  bravest  with  my  own  hand.  ' 

"  One  of  our  people  killed  a  pale-face  Ameri 
can,  and  he  was  put  in  prison ;  so  we  sent  to  St. 
Louis,  to  pay  foe  the  killed  man,  and  to  cover  the 
blood.  Did  the  pale  faces  do  well?  No,  they 
did  not ;  they  set  our  man  free,  but  when  he  began 
to  run  they  shot  him  down  ;  and  they  gave  strong 


68  THE   INDIANS   OF 

drink  to  our  four  people,  and  told  them  to  give  up 
the  best  part  of  our  hunting  ground  for  a  thousand 
.dollars  every  twelve  moons.  What  right  had 
they  to  give  our  men  strong  drink,  and  then  cheat 
them  ?  None. 

"  American  white  faces  came,  with  a  great,  big 
gun,  to  build  a  fort,  and  said  it  was  to  trade  with 
us.  They  treated  the  Indians  ill :  we  went  against 
the  fort.  I  dug  a  hole  in  the  ground  with  my 
knife,  so  that  I  could  hide  myself  with  some  grass. 
I  shot  with  my  rile  and  cut  the  cord  of  their  flag, 
so  that  they  could  not  pull  it  up  to  fly  in  the  air ; 
and  we  fired  the  fort,  but  they  put  out  the  fire. 

"  One  of  our  people  killed  a  white,  and  was 
taken.  He  was  to  die,  but  asked  leave  to  go  and 
see  his  squaw  and  children.  They  let  him  go, 
but  he  ran  back  through  the  prairies  next  day,  in 
time  to  be  shot  down.  He  did  not  say  he  would 
£ ome  back,  and  then  stay  ;  he  was  an  Indian,  and 
not  a  white  man.  I  hunted  and  fished  for  his 
squaw  and  children  when  he  was  dead. 

"  Why  was  it  that  the  Great  Spirit  did  not  keep 
the  white  men  where  he  put  them  ?  Wrhy  did  he 
let  them  come  among  my  people  with  their  fire- 
drink,  sickness,  and  guns?  It  had  been  better 
for  red  men  to  be  by"  themselves. 

"  We  went  to  a  great  English  brave,  Colonel 
Dixon,  at  Green  Bay:  there  were  many  Pottawa- 
tomies,  Kickapoos,  Ottowas,  and  Winnebagoes 
there.  The  great  brave  gave  us  pipes,  tobacco, 
new  guns,  powder,  and  clothes.  I  held  a  talk 
with  him  in  his  tent ;  he  took  my  hand.  c  Gene 
ral  Black  Hawk.'  said  he,  and  he  put  a  medal 


NORTH    AMERICA.  69 

round  my  neck,  c  you  must  now  hold  us  fast  by 
the  hand ;  you  will  have  the  command  of  all  the 
braves  to  join  our  own  braves  at  Detroit.'  I  was 
sorry,  because  I  wanted  to  go  to  Mississippi. 
But  he  said,  £  No ;  you  are  too  brave  to  kill 
women  and  children:  you  must  kill  braves.' 

"  We  had  a  feast,  and  I  led  away  five  hundred 
braves  to  join  the  British.  Sometimes  we  won, 
and  sometimes  we  lost.  The  Indians  were  kill 
ing  the  prisoners,  but  Black  Hawk  stopped  them. 
He  is  a  coward  who  kills  a  brave  that  has  no  arms 
and  cannot  fight.  I  did  not  like  so  often  to  be 
beaten  in  battle,  and  to  get  no  plunder.  I  left  the 
British,  with  twenty  of  my  braves,  to  go  home, 
and  see  after  my  wife  and  children. 

"  I  found  an  old  friend  of  mine  sitting  on  a 
mat  in  sorrow  :  he  had  come  to  be  alone,  and  to 
make  himself  little  before  the  Great  Spirit :  he 
had  fasted  long,  he  was  hardly  alive  ;  his  son  had 
been  taken  prisoner,  and  shot  and  stabbed  to  death. 
I  put  my  pipe  to  my  friend's  mouth  ;  he  smoked 
a  little.  I  took  his  hand,  and  said  '  Black  Hawk 
would  revenge  his  son's  death.'  A  storm  came 
on  ;  I. wrapped  my  old  friend  in  my  blanket.  The 
storm  gave  over  ;  I  made  a  fire.  It  was  too  late ; 
my  friend  was  dead.  I  stopped  with  him  the  re 
mainder  of  the  night ;  and  then  my  people  came, 
and  we  buried  him  on  the  peak  of  the  bluff. 

"  I  explained  to  my  people  the  way, the  white 
men  fight.  Instead  of  -stealing  on  each  other, 
quietly  and  by  surprise,  to  kill  their  enemies  and 
save  their  own  people,  they  all  fight  in  the  sun 
light,  like  braves  ;  not  caring  how  many  of  their 


70  THE    INDIANS    OF 

people  fall.  They  then  feast  and  drink  as  if-  no  • 
thing  had  happened,  and  write  on  paper  that  they 
have  won,  whether  they  have  won  or  been  beaten. 
And  they  do  not  write  truth,  for  they  only  put 
down  a  part  of  the  people  they  have  lost.  They 
would  do  to  paddle  a  canoe,  but  not  to  steer  it. 
They  fight  like  braves,  but  they  are  not  fit  to  be 
chiefs,  and  to  lead  war  parties. 

"  I  found  my  wife  well,  and  my  children,  and 
would  have  been  quiet  in  my  lodge  ;  for,  while  I 
was  away,  Kee-o-kuk  had  been  made  a  chief:  but 
I  had  to  revenge  the  death  of  the  son  of  my  old 
friend.  I  told  my  friend  so  when  he  was  dying. 
Why  should  Black  Hawk  speak  a  lie  ?  1  took 
with  me  thirty  braves,  and  wTent  to  Fort  Madison  ; 
but  the  American  pale  faces  had  gone.  I  was 
glad,  but  still  followed  them  down  the  Mississippi. 
I  went  on  their  trail.  I  shot  the  chief  of  the  party 
with  whom  we  fought.  We  returned  home,  bring 
ing  two  scalps.  Black  Hawk  had  done  what  he 
said. 

"  Many  things  happened.  Old  Wash-e-own, 
one  of  the  Pottawatomies,  was  shot  dead  by 
a  war  chief.  I  gave  Wash-e-own's  relations  two 
horses  and  my  rifles  to  keep  the  peace.  A  party 
of  soldiers  built  a  fort  at  Prairie  du  Chien.  They 
were  friendly  to  us,  but  the  British  came  and  took 
the  fort.  We  joined  them  ;  we  followed  the  boats 
and  shot  fire-arrows,  and  the  sails  of  one  boat 
were  burned,  and  we  took  it. 

"  We  found,  in  the  boats  we  had  taken,  barrels 
of  whiskey  :  this  was  bad  medicine.  We  knock 
ed  in  the  heads  of  the  barrels,  and  emptied  out 


NORTH   AMERICA.  71 

the  bad  medicine.  We  found  bottles  and  pack 
ages,  which  we  flung  into  the  river  as  bad  medi 
cine  too.  We  found  guns  and  clothes,  which  I 
divided  with  my  braves.  The  Americans  built  a 
fort ;  I  went  towards  it  with  my  braves.  I  had  a 
dream,  in  which  the  Great  Spirit  told  me  to  go 
down  the  bluff  to  a  creek,  and  to  look  in  a  hollow 
tree  cut  down,  and  there  I  should  see  a  snake ; 
close  by  would  be  the  enemy  unarmed.  I  went 
to  the  creek,  peeped  into  the  tree,  saw  the  snake, 
and  found  the  enemy.  One  man  of  them  was 
killed,  after  that  we  returned  home :  peace  was 
made  between  the  British  and  Americans,  and  we 
were  to  bury  the  tomahawk  too. 

"  We  went  to  the  great  American  chief  at  St. 
Louis,  and  smoked  the  pipe  of  peace.  The  chief 
ssid  our  great  American  father  was  angry  with  us, 
and  accused  us  of  crimes.  We  said  this  was  a 
lie ;  for  our  great  father  had  deceived  us,  and 
forced  us  into  a  war.  They  were  angry  at  what 
we  said  ;  but  we  smoked  the  pipe  of  peace  again, 
and  I  first  touched  the  goose  quill ;  but  I  did  not 
know  that,  in  doing  so,  I  gave  away  my  village. 
Had  I  known  it,  I  would  never  have  touched  the 
goose  quill. 

"  The  American  -whites  built  a  fort  on  Rock 
Island  ;  this  made  us  sorry,  for  it  was  our  garden, 
like  what  the  white  people  have  near  their  big  vil 
lages.  It  supplied  us  with  plums,  apples  and  nuts , 
with  strawberries  and  blackberries.  Many  happy 
days  had  I  spent  on  Rock  Island.  A  good  spirit  had 
the  care  of  it ;  he  lived  under  the  rock,  in  a  cave 
He  was  white,  and  his  wings  were  ten  times  big- 


72  THE   INDIANS   OF 

ger  than  swan's  wings :  when  the  white  men  came 
there,  he  went  away. 

"  We  had  com  and  beans  and  pumpkins  and 
squashes.  We  were  the  possessors  of  the  valley 
of  the  Mississippi,  full  seven  hundred  miles  from 
the  Ouiseonsin  to  the  Portage  des  Sioux,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Missouri.  If  another,  prophet  had 
come  to  us  in  those  days,  and  said,  '  The  white 
man  will  drive  you  from  these  hunting  grounds, 
and  from  this  village,  and  Rock  Island,  and  no 
let  you  visit  the  graves  of  your  fathers,'  we  should 
have  said,  f  Why  should  you  tell  us  a  lie  ?' 

"  It  was  good  to  go  to  the  graves  of  our  fathers. 
The  mother  went  there  to  weep  over  her  child : 
the  brave  went  there  to  paint  the  post  where  lay 
his.  father.  There  was  no  place  in  sorrow  like 
that  where  the  bones  of  our  forefathers  lay.  There 
the  Great  Spirit  took  pity  on  us.  In  our  village, 
we  were  as  happy  as  a  buffalo  on  the  plains ;  but 
now  we  are  more  like  the  hungry  and  howling 
wolf  in  the  prairie. 

"As  the  whites  came  nearer  to  us,  we  became 
more  unhappy.  They  gave  our  people  strong 
liquor,  and  I  could  not  keep  them  from  drinking 
it.  My  eldest  son  and  my  youngest  daughter 
died.  I  gave  away  all  I  had  ;  blackened  my  face 
for  two  years,  lived  alone  with  my  family,  to  hum 
ble  myself  before  the  Great  Spirit.  I  had  only  a 
piece  of  buffalo  robe  to  cover  me. 

"  White  men  came  and  took  part  of  our  lodges  ; 
and  Kee-o-kuk  told  me  I  had  better  go  West,  as 
he  had  done.  I  said  I  could  not  forsake  my  vil 
lage  ;  the  prophet  told  me  I  wa&  right.  I  thought 


NORTH   AMERICA.  73 

then  that  Kee-o-kuk  was  no  brave,  but  a  coward, 
to  give  up  what  the  Great  Spirit  had  given  us. 

"  The  white  men  grew  more  and  more  ;  brought 
whiskey  among  us,  cheated  us  out  of  our  guns, 
our  horses  and  our  traps,  and  ploughed  up  our 
grounds.  They  treated  us  cruelly ;  and,  wrhile 
they  robbed  us,  said  that  we  robbed  them.  They 
made  right  look  like  wrong,  and  wrong  like  right. 
I  tried  hard  to-  get  right,  but  could  not.  The 
white  man  wanted  my  village,  and  back  I  must^ 
go.  Sixteen  thousand  dollars  every  twelve  moons 
are  to  be  given  to  the  Pottawatomies  for  a  little 
strip  of  land,  while  one  thousand  dollars  only  was 
set  down  for  our  land  signed  away,  worth  twenty 
times  as  much.  White  man  is  too  great  a  cheat 
for  red  man. 

"  A  great  chief,  with  many  soldiers,  came  to 
drive  us  away.  I  went  to  the  prophet,  wrho  told 
me  not  to  be  afraid.  They  only  wanted  to  frighten 
us,  and  get  our  land  without  paying  for  it.  I  had 
a  talk  with  the  great  chief.  He  said  if  I  would 
go,  well.  If  I  would  not,  he  would  drive  me. 
4  Who  is  Black  Hawk?'  said  he.  <  I  am  a 
Sac,'  said  I ;  c  my  forefather  was  a  Sac ;  and 
all  the  nation  call  me  a  Sac.'  But  he  said  I 
should  go. 

"  I  crossed  the  Mississippi  with  my  people, 
during  the  night,  and  we  held  a  council.  I 
touched  the  goose  quill  again,  and  they  gave  us 
some  corn,  but  it  was  soon  gone.  Then  our  wo 
men  arid  children  cried  nut  for  the  roasted  'ears> 
the  beans,  and  squashes  fftey  had  been  used  to, 
and  some  of  our  braves  went  back  in  the  night, 


74  THE    INDIANS    OF 

to  take  some  corn  from  our  own  fields ;  the  whites 
saw  and  fired  upon  them. 

"I  wished  our  great  American  father  to  do  us 
justice.  I  wished  to  go  to  him  with  others,  but 
difficulties  were  thrown  in  the  way.  I  consulted 
the  prophet,  and  recruited  my  bands  to  take  my 
village  again ;  for  I  knew  that  it  had  been  sold 
by  a  few,  without  the  consent  of  the  many.  It 
was  a  cheat.  I  said,  £  I  will  not  leave  the  place 
^of  my  fathers.' 

"  With  my  braves  and  warriors,  on  horseback, 
I  moved  up  the  river,  and  took  with  us  our  women 
and  children  in  canoes.  Our  prophet  was  among 
us.  The  great  war  chief,  White  Beaver,  sent 
twice  to  tell  us  to  go  back  ;  and  that,  if  we  did 
not,  he  would  come  and  drive  us.  Black  Hawk's 
message  was  this  :  i  If  you  wish  to  fight  us,  come 
on.' 

"We  were  soon  at  war;  but  I  did  not  wish 
it :  I  tried  to  be  at  peace  ;  but  when  I  sent  par 
ties  with  a  white  flag,  some  of  my  parties  were 
shot  down.  The  whites  behaved  ill  to  me,  they 
forced  me  into  war,  with  five  hundred  warriors, 
when  they  had  against  us  three  or  four  thousand. 
I  often  beat  them,  driving  back  hundreds,  with  a 
few  braves,  not  half  their  number.  WTe  moved  on 
to  the  Four  Lakes. 

"  I  made  a  dog  feast  before  I  left  my  camp. 
Before  my  braves  feasted,  I  took  my  great  medi 
cine  bag,  and  made  a  speech  to  my  people  ;  this 
was  my  speech  : — 

"  '  Braves  and  warriors !  these  are  the  medicine 
bags  of  our  forefather,  Mtik-a-ta-quet,  who  was 


NORTH   AMERICA.  T6 

ine  father  of  the  Sac  nation.  They  were  handed 
down  ''.o  the  great  war  chief  of  our  nation,  Na-na- 
ma-keo,  who  has  been  at  war  with  all  the  nations 
of  the  lakes,  and  all  the  nations  of  the  plains,  and 
they  have  never  yet  been  disgraced.  I  expect 
you  all  to  protect  them.' 

"  We  went  to  Mos-co-ho-co-y-nak,  where  the 
whites  had  built  a  fort.  We  had  several  battles  ; 
but  the  whites  so  much  outnumbered  us,  it  was 
in  vain.  We  had  not  enough  to  eat.  We  dug 
roots,  and  pulled  the  bark  from  trees,  to  keep  us 
alive ;  some  of  our  old  people  died  of  hunger. 
I  determined  to  remove  our  women  across  the 
Mississippi,  that  they  might  return  again  to  the 
Sac  nation. 

"  We  arrived  at  the  Ouisconsin,  and  had  begun 
crossing  over,  when  the  '  enemy  came  in  great 
force.  We  had  either  to  fight,  or  to  sacrifice  our 
women  and  children.  I  was  mounted  on  a  fine 
horse,  and  addressed  my  warriors,  encouraging 
them  to  be  brave.  With  fifty  of  them  I  fought 
long  enough  to  let  our  women  cross  the  river, 
losing  only  six  men :  this  was  conduct  worthy  a 
brave. 

"  It  was  sad  for  us  that  a  party  of  soldiers  from 
Prairie  du  Chien  were  stationed  on  the  Ouiscon 
sin,  and  these  fired  on  our  distressed  women  :  was 
this  brave  ?  No.  Some  were  killed,  some  taken 
prisoners,  and  the  rest  escaped  into  the  woods. 
After  many  battles,  I  found  the  white  men  too 
strong  for  us  ;  and  thinking  there  would  be  no 
peace  while  Black  Hawk  was  at  the  head  of  his 
braves,  I  gave  myself  up  and  my  great  medicine 


76  THE   INDIANS   OF 

bag.  c  Take  it,'  said  I.  <  It  is  the  soul  of  the 
Sac  nation  :  it  has  never  been  dishonoured  in  any 
battle.  Take  it ;  it  is  my  life,  dearer  than  life ; 
let  it  be  given  to  the  great  American  chief.7 

"  I  understood  afterwards,  a  large  party  of  Sioux 
attacked  our  women,  children,  and  people,  who 
had  crossed  the  Mississippi,  and  killed  sixty  of 
them :  this  was  hard,  and  ought  not  to  have  been 
allowed  by  the  whites. 

"I  was  sent  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  and  after 
wards  to  my  great  American  father  at  Washington. 
He  wanted  to  know  why  I  went  to  war  with  his 
people.  I  said  but  little,  for  I  thought  he  ought 
to  have  known  why  before,  and  perhaps  he  did  ; 
perhaps  he  knew  that  I  was  deceived  and  forced 
into  war.  His  wigwam  is  built  very  strong.  I 
think  him  to  be  a  good  little  man,  and  a  great 
brave. 

"  I  was  treated  well  at  all  the  places  I  passed 
through  ;  Louisville,  Cincinnati,  and  Wheeling  ; 
and  afterwards  at  Fortress  Monroe,  Baltimore,  Phi 
ladelphia,  and  the  big  village  of  New  York ;  and 
I  was  allowed  to  return  home  again  to  my  people, 
of  whom  Kee-o-kuk,  the  Running  Fox,  is  now 
the  chief.  I  sent  for  my  great  medicine  bag,  for 
I  wished  to  hand  it  down  unsullied  to  my  nation. 

"  It  has  been  said  that  Black  Hawk  murdered 
women  and  children  among  the  whites ;  but  it  is 
not  true.  When  the  white  man  takes  my  hand, 
he  takes  a  hand  that  has  only  been  raised  against 
warriors  and  braves.  It  has  always  been  our  cus 
tom  to  receive  the  stranger,  and  to  use  him  well. 
The  white  man  shall  ever  be  welcome  among  us 


NORTH   AMERICA.  77 

&s  a  brother.  What  is  done  is  past ;  we  have 
buried  the  tomahawk,  and  the  Sacs  and  Foxes 
and  Americans  will  now  be  friends. 

uAs  I  said,  I  am  an  old  man,  and  younger 
men  must  take  my  place.  A  few  more  snows, 
and  I  shall  go  where  my  fathers  are.  It  is  the 
wish  of  the  heart  of  Black  Hawk,  that  the  Great 
Spirit  may  keep  the  red  men  and  pale  faces  in 
peace,  and  that  the  tomahawk  may  be  buried  for 
ever." 

Austin.  Poor  Black  Hawk !  He  went  through 
a  great  deal.  And  Kee-o-kuk,  the  Running  Fox, 
was  made  chief  instead  of  him. 

Hunter.  Kee-o-kuk  was  a  man  more  inclined 
to  peace  than  war ;  for,  while  Black  Hawk  was 
fighting,  he  kept  two-thirds  of  the  tribe  in  peace. 
The  time  may  come,  when  Indians  may  love 
peace  as  much  as  they  now  love  war ;  and  when 
the  "peace  of  God  which  passeth  all  understand 
ing"  may  "  keep  their  hearts  and  minds  in  the 
knowledge  and  love  of  God,  and  of  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord." 

Austin.  Now,  just  before  we  go,  will  you 
please  to  tell  us  a  little  about  a  buffalo  hunt ;  just 
a  little,  and  then  we  shall  talk  about  it,  and  about 
Black  Hawk,  all  the  way  home. 

Hunter.  Well,  it  must  be  a  short  account  now ; 
perhaps  I  may  describe  another  hunt,  more  at 
length,  another  time.  In  hunting  the  buffalo,  the 
rifle,  the  lance,  and  the  bow  and  arrow  are  used, 
as  the  case  may  be.  I  have  hunted  with  the  Ca- 
manchees  in  the  Mexican  provinces,  who  are 
famous  horsemen  ;  with  the  Sioux,  on  the  Missis* 


78  THE    INDIANS    OF 

sippi ;  the  Crows,  on  the  Yellow-stone  river ;  and 
the  Pawnees,  at  the  Rocky  Mountains.  One 
morning,  when  among  the  Crows,  a  muster  took 
place  for  a  buffalo  hunt :  you  may  be  sure  that  I 
joined  them,  for  at  that  time  I  was  almost  an  In 
dian  myself. 

Austin.     How  did  you  prepare  for  the  hunt  ? 

Hunter.  As  soon  as  we  had  notice,  from  the 
top  of  a  bluff  in  the  distance,  that  a  herd  of 
buffaloes  was  on  the  prairie,  we  prepared  our 
horses ;  while  some  Indians  were  directed  to  fol 
low  our  trail,  with  one-horse  carts,  to  bring  home 
the  meat. 

Brian.  You  were  sure,  then,  that  you  should 
kill  some  buffaloes. 

Hunter.  Yes  ;  we  had  but  little  doubt  on  that 
head.  I  threw  off  my  cap  ;  stripped  off  my  coat; 
tying  a  handkerchief  round  my  head,  and  another 
round  my  waist ;  rolled  up  rny  sleeves ;  hastily 
put  a  few  bullets  in  my  mouth,  and  mounted  a 
fleet  horse,  armed  with  a  rifle  and  a  thin,  long 
spear :  but  most  of  the  Crows  had  also  bows  and 
arrows.  . 

Basil.     Your  thin  spear  would  soon  be  broken. 

Hunter.  No  ;  these  thin,  long  spears  are  some 
times  used,  in  buffalo  hunting,  for  years  without 
breaking.  When  an  Indian  chases  a  buffalo,  if 
he  does  not  use  his  rifle  or  bow  and  arrow,  he 
rides  on  fast  till  he  comes  up  with  his  game,  and 
makes  his  horse  gallop  just  the  same  pace  as  the 
buffalo.  Every  bound  his  horse  gives,  the  Indian 
keeps  moving  his  spear  lackwards  and  forwards 
across  the  pommel  of  hi  saddle,  with  the  point 


NORTH    AMERICA.  9 

sideways  towards  the  buffalo.  He  gallops  on  in 
this  way,  saying  "  Whish !  whish!"  every  time 
he  makes  a  feint,  until  he  finds  himself  in  just  the 
situation  to  inflict  a  deadly  wound :  then,  in  a 
moment,  with  all  his  strength,  he  plunges  in  his 
lance,  quick  as  lightning,  near  the  shoulders  of 
the  buffalo,  and  withdraws  it  at  the  same  instant : 
the  lance,  therefore,  is  not  broken,  though  the 
buffalo  may  be  mortally  wounded. 

Brian.     The  poor  buffalo  has  no  chance  at  all. 

Austin.  Well !  you  mounted  your  horse,  and 
rode  off  at  full  gallop — 

Hunter.  No  ;  we  walked  our  steeds  all  abreast, 
until  we  were  seen  by  the  herd  of  buffaloes.  On 
catching  sight* of  us,  in  an  instant  they  set  off, 
and  we  after  them  as  hard  as  we  could  drive,  a 
clovd  of  dust  rising  from  the  prairie,  occasioned 
v  the  trampling  hoofs  of  the  buffaloes. 

Basil.     What  a  scamper  there  must  be ! 

Hunter.  Rifles  were  flashing,  bowstrings  were 
twanging,  spears  were  dashed  into  the  fattest  of 
the  herd,  and  buffaloes  were  falling  in  all  direc 
tions.  Here  was  seen  an  Indian  rolling  on  the 
ground,  and  there  a  horse  gored  to  death  by  a 
buffalo  bull.  I  brought  down  one  of  the  largest 
of  the  herd  with  my  rifle,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
hunt ;  and,  before  it  was  ended,  we  had  as  many 
buffaloes  as  we  knew  what  to  do  with.  Some  of 
the  party  had  loaded  their  rifles  four  or  five  times, 
while  at  full  gallop,  bringing  down  a  buffalo  at 
every  fire. 

Very  willingly  would  Austin  have  lingered  long 
enough  to  hear  of  half  a  dozen  buffalo  hunts : 


80 


THE    INDIANS    01 


but,  bearing  in  mind  what  had  jeen  said  about  a 
longer  account  at  another  time,  .he  cordially 
thanked  the  hunter  for  all  he  had  told  them,  and 
set  off  home,  with  a  light  heart,  in  earnest  con<» 
versation  with  his  brothers. 


NORTH    AMERICA. 


8] 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  description  of  the  buffalo  hunt,  given  by 
the  hunter,  made  a  deep  impression  on  the  minds 
of  the  young  people  ;  and  the  manner  of  using 
the  long,  thin  lance  called  forth  their  wonder,  and 
excited  their  emulation.  Austin  became  a  Caman- 
chee  from  the  Mexican  provinces,  the  Caman- 
fdiees  being  among  the  most  expert  lancers  and 
horsemen  ;  Brian  called  himself  a  Sioux,  from  the 
Mississippi ;  and  Basil  styled  himself  a  Pawnee, 
from  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Many  were  the  plans  and  expedients  to  get  up 
a  buffalo  hunt  upon  a  large  scale,  but  the  difficulty 
of  procuring  buffaloes  was  insurmountable.  Aus 
tin,  it  is  true,  did  suggest  an  inroad  among  the 
flock  of  sheep  of  a  neighbour  ng  farme;,  main' 


S  THE    INDIANS    OF 

tainmg  t^at  the  scampering  of  the  sheep  woulo 
very  much  resemble  the  flight  of  a  herd  of  buffa 
loes ;  but  this  suggestion  was  given  up,  on  the 
ground  that  the  farmer  might  not  think  it  so  enter 
taining  an  amusement  as  they  did. 

It  was  doubtful,  at  one  time,  whether,  in  their 
extremity,  they  should  not  be  compelled  to  con 
vert  the  chairs  and  tables  into  buffaloes ;  but 
Austin,  whose  heart  was  in  the  thing,  had  a  bright 
thought,  which  received  universal  approbation. 
This  was  to  make  buffaloes  of  their  playfellow 
Jowler^  the  Newfoundland  dog,  and  the  black 
tom-cat.  Jowler,  with  his  shining  shaggy  skin, 
was  sure  to  make  a  capital  buffalo ;  and  Black 
Tom  would  do  very  well,  as  buffaloes  were  not 
all  of  one  size.  To  work  they  went  immediately, 
to  prepare  themselves  for  their  adventurous 
undertaking,  dressing  themselves  up  for  the 
approaching  enterprise  ;  and,  if  they  did  not 
^succeed  in  making  themselves  look  like  Indians, 
they  certainly  did  present  a  most  grotesque 
appearance. 

In  the  best  projects,  however,  there  is  often 
times  an  oversight,  which  bids  fair  to  ruin  the 
whole  undertaking ;  and  so  it  was  on  this  occa 
sion  ;  for  it  never  occurred  to  them,  until  they 
were  habited  as  hunters,  to  secure  the  attendance 
of  Jowler  and  Black  Tom.  Encumbered  with 
their  lances,  bows,  arrows  and  hanging  dresses, 
they  had  to  search  the  whole  house,  from  top  to 
bottom,  in  quest  of  Black  Tom  ;  and  when  he  was 
found,  a  like  search  was  made  for  Jowler.  Both 
Jowler  and  Black  Tom  were  at  length  found,  ana 


NORTH   AMERICA.  83 

led  forth  to  the  lawn,  which  was  considered  to  be 
an  excellent  prairie. 

No  sooner  was  the  signal  given  for  the  hunt  to 
commence,  than  Black  Tom,  being  set  at  liberty, 
instead  of  acting  his  part  like  a  buffalo,  as  he 
ought  to  have  done,  scampered  across  the  lawn 
to  the  shrubbery,  and  ran  up  a  tree  ;  while  Jowler 
made  a  rush  after  him ;  so  that  the  hunt  appeared 
to  have  ended  almost  as  soon  as  it  was  begun. 
Jowler  was  brought  back  again  to  the  middle  of 
the  lawn,  but  no  one  could  prevail  on  Black  Tom 
to  descend  from  his  eminence. 

Once  more  Jowler,  the  buffalo,  was  set  at 
liberty;  and  Austin,  Brian,  and  Basil,  the  Caman- 
chee,  Sioux,  and  Pawnee  chieftains,  brandished 
their  long  lances,  preparing  for  the  chase  :  but  it 
seemed  as  though  they  were  to  be  disappointed, 
for  Jowler,  instead  of  running  away,  according 
to  the  plan  of  the  hunters,  provokingly  kept  leap 
ing  up,  first  at  one,  and  then  at  another  of  them ; 
until  having  overturned  the  Pawnee  on  the  lawn, 
and  put  the  Sioux  and  Camanchee  out  of  all 
patience,  he  lay  down  panting,  with  his  long  xed 
tongue  out  of  his  mouth,  looking  at  them  just  as 
though  he  had  acted  his  part  of  the  affair  capitally. 

At  last,  not  being  able  to  reduce  the  refractory 
Jowler  to  obedience,  no  other  expedient  remained 
than  that  one  of  them  should  act  the  part  of  a 
buffalo  himself.  Austin  was  very  desirous  that 
this  should  be  done  by  Brian  or  Basil ;  but  they 
insisted  that  he,  being  the  biggest,  was  most  like 
a  buffalo.  The  affair  was  at  length  compromised, 
by  each  agreeing  to  play  the  buffalo  in  turn.  A 


84  THL   INDIANS   OF 

desperate  hunt  then  took  place,  in  the  course  of 
which  their  long  lances  were  most  skilfiHly  and 
effectually  used ;  three  buffaloes  were  slain,  and 
the  Camanchee,  Sioux,  aud  Pawnee  returned  in 
triumph  from  the  chase,  carrying  a  buffalo-hide  (a 
rug  mat  from  the  hall)  on  the  tops  of  their  spears. 

On  their  next  visit  to  the  hunter,  they  reminded 
him  that,  the  last  time  he  saw  them,  he  had  in 
tended  to  speak  about  the  prairies ;  but  that  the 
history  of  Black  Hawk,  and  the  account  of  thf 
buffalo  hunt,  had  taken  up  all  the  time..  They 
told  him  that  they  had  come  early,  on  purpose  to 
hear  a  long  account;  and,  perhaps,  he  would  be 
able  to  tell  them  all  about  Nikkanochee  into  the 
bargain. 

The  hunter  replied,  if  that  was  the  case,  the 
sooner  he  began  his  narrative  the  better;  so, 
without  loss  of  time,  he  thus  commenced  his 
account. 

Hunter.  Though  in  our  country  there  are 
dull,  monotonous  rivers,  with  thick  slimy  waters, 
stagnant  swamps,  and  pine  forests  almost  im- 
measureable  in  extent ;  yet,  still,  some  of  the 
most  beautiful  and  delightful  scenes  in  the  whole 
world  are  here. 

Austin.  How  big  are  the  prairies  ?  I  want  to 
know  more  about  them. 

Hunter.  They  extend  for  many  hundreds  of  miles, 
though  not  without  being  divided  and  diversified 
with  other  scenery.  Mountains  and  valleys,  and 
forests  and  rivers,  vary  the  appearance  of  the 
country.  The  name  prairie  was  given  to  the 
plains  of  North  America  by  the  French  settlers, 


NORTH   AMtRICA.  85 

It  is  the  French  word  for  meadow.  I  will 
describe  some  prairie  scenes  which  have  particu 
larly  struck  me.  These  vast  plains  are  sometimes 
flat ;  sometimes  undulated,  like  the  large  waves 
of  the  sea ;  sometimes  barren  ;  sometimes  covered 
with  flowers  and  fruit ;  and  sometimes  there  is 
grass  growing  on  them  eight  or  ten  feet  high. 

Brian.  I  never  heard  of  such  high  grass  as 
that. 

Hunter.  A  prairie  on  fire  is  one  of  the  most  im 
posing  spectacles  you  can  imagine.  The  flame  is 
urged  on  by  the  winds,  running  and  spreading 
out  with  swiftness  and  fury,  roaring  like  a  tem 
pest,  and  driving  before  it  deer,  wolves,  horses, 
and  buffaloes,  in  wild  confusion. 

Austin.  How  I  should  like  to  see  a  prairie  on 
fire! 

Hunter.  In  Missouri,  Arkansas,  Indiana,  and 
Louisiana,  prairies  abound ;  and  the  whole  State 
of  Illinois  is  little  else  than  a  vast  prairie.  From 
the  Falls  of  the  Missouri  to  St.  Louis,  a  constant 
succession  of  prairie  and  river  scenes,  of  the  most- 
interesting  kind,  meet  the  eye.  Here  the  rich 
green  velvet  turf  spreads  out  immeasurably  wide  ; 
breaking  towards  the  river  into  innumerable  hills 
and  dales,  bluffs  and  ravines,  where  mountain 
goats  and  wolves  and  antelopes  and  elks  and 
buffaloes  and  grizzly  bears  roam  in  unrestrained 
liberty.  At  one  time,  the  green  bluff  slopes 
easily  down  to  the  water's  edge  ;  while,  in  other 
places,  the  ground  at  the  edge  of  the  river  pre 
sents  to  the  eye  an  endless  variety  of  hill  and 
bluff  and  crag,  taking  the  shapes  of  ramparts  and 


86 


THL    INDIANS    OF 


niins,    of   columns,    porticoes,   terraces,    domes, 
towers,    citadels   and    castles ;    while   here   and 


there  seems  to  rise  a  solitary  spire,  which  might 
well  pass  for  the  wrork  of  human  hands.  But  the 
whole  scene,  varying  in  colour,  and  lit  up  and 
gilded  by  the  mid-day  sun,  speaks  to  the  heart  of 
the  spectator,"  convincing  him  that  none  but  an 
Almighty  hand  could  thus  clothe  the  wilderness 
with  beauty. 

Austin.  Brian!  Do  you  not  wish  now  to  see 
.ne  prairies  of  North  America  ? 

Brian.  Yes  ;  if  I  could  see  them  without  going 
among  the  tomahawks  and  scalping-knives. 

Hunter.  I  remember  one  part  where  the  ragged 


NORTH    AMERICA.  87 

cliffs  and  cone-like  bluffs,  partly  washed  away  by 
the  rains,  and  partly  crumbled  down  by  the  frosts, 
seemed  to  be  composed  of  earths  of  a  mineral 
kind,  of  clay  of  different  colours  and  of  red 
pumice  stone.  The  clay  was  white,  brown,  yel 
low  and  deep  blue ;  while  the  pumice  stone,  lit 
up  by  the  sunbeam,  was  red  like  vermilion.  The 
loneliness,  the  wildness  and  romantic  beauty  of 
the  scene  I  am  not  likely  to  forget. 

Basil.  I  should  like  to  see  those  red  rocks  very 
much. 

Hunter.  For  six  days  I  once  continued  my 
course,  with  a  party  of  Indians,  across  the  prairie, 
without  setting  my  eyes  on  a  single  tree,  or  a 
single  hill  affording  variety  to  the  scene.  Grass, 
wild  flowers,  and  strawberries,  abounded  more 
or  less  through  the  whole  extent.  The  spot 
where  we  found  ourselves  at  sundown,  ap 
peared  to  be  exactly  that  from  which  we  started 
at  sunrise.  There  was  little  variety,  even  in  the 
sky  itself;  and  it  would  have  been  a  relief,  (so 
soon  are  we  weary  even  of  beauty  itself,)  to  have 
walked  a  mile  over  rugged  rocks,  or  to  have 
forced  our  way  through  a  gloomy  pine  wood,  or 
to  have  climbed  the  sides  of  a  steep  mountain. 

Brian.  I  hardly  think  that  I  should  ever  be  tired 
of  green  grass  and  flowers  and  strawberries. 

Hunter.  Oh  yes,  you  would.  Variety  in  the 
works  of  creation  is  a  gift  of  our  bountiful  Creator, 
for  which  we  are  not  sufficiently  thankful.  Look 
at  the  changing  seasons ;  how  beautifully  they 
vary  the  same  prospect!  And  the  changing 
clouds  of  heaven,  too ;  what  an  infinite  and  plea- 


THE    INDIANS    OF 


surable  variety  they  afford  to  us!  If  the  world 
were  all  sunshine,  we  should  long  for  the  shade 

Jlustin.  What  do  you  mean  by  bluffs  ? 

Hunter.  Round  hills,  or  huge  clayey  mounds, 
often  covered  with  grass  and  flowers  to  the  very 
top.  Sometimes  they  have  a  verdant  turf  on  their 
tops,  while  their  sides  display  a  rich  variety  of 
many-coloured  earths,  and  thousands  of  gypsum 
crystals  imbedded  in  the  clay.  The  romantic 
mixture  of  bluffs,  and  hills,  with  summits  of  green 
grass  as  level  as  the  top  of  a  table,  with  huge 
fragments  of  pumice  stone  and  cinders,  the  remains 
of  burning  mountains,  and  granite  sand,  and  layers 
of  different  coloured  clay,  and  cornelian,  and 
agate,  and  jasper-like  pebbles ;  these,  with  the 
various  animals  that  graze  or  prowl  among  them, 
and  the  rolling  river,  and  a  bright  blue  sky,  have 
afforded  me  bewildering  delight.  Some  of  the 
hunters  and  trappers  believe  that  the  great  valley 
of  the  Missouri  was  once  level  with  the  tops  of 
the  table  hills,  and  that  the  earth  has  been  washed 
away  by  the  river,  and  other  causes ;  but  the 
subject  is  involved  in  much  doubt.  It  has 
pleased  God  to  put  a  boundary  to  the  knowledge 
of  man  in  many  things.  I  think  I  ought  to  tell 
you  of  Floyd's  grave. 

Jlustin.   Where  was  it?     Who  was  Floyd. 

Hunter.  You  shall  hear.  In  the  celebrated  ex 
pedition  of  Clark  and  Lewis  to  the  Rocky  Moun 
tains,  they  were  accompanied  by  Serjeant  Floyd, 
who  died  on  the  way.  His  body  was  carried  to 
the  top  of  a  high  green-carpeted  bluff,  on  the 
Missouri  river,  and  there  buried,  and  a  cedar  post 


NORTH    AMERICA.  »  89 

was  erected  to  his  memory.  Ai  I  sat  on  his 
grave,  and  looked  around  me,  the  stillness  and 
the  extreme  beauty  of  the  scene  much  affected  me. 
I  had  endured  much  toil,  both  in  hunting  and 
rowing ;  sometimes  being  in  danger  from  the 
grizzly  bears,  and,  at  others,  with  difficulty 
escaping  the  war-parties  cf  the  Indians.  My 
rifle  had  been  busy,  and  the  swan  and  the  pelican, 
the  antelope  and  the  elk,  had  supplied  me  with 
food ;  and  as  I  sat  on  a  grave,  in  that  beautiful 
bluff  in  the  wilderness — the  enamelled  prairie,  the 
_  thousand  grassy  hills  that  were  visible,  with  their 
golden  heads  and  long  deep  shadows,  (for  the 
sun  was  setting,)  and  the  Missouri  winding  in  its 
serpentine  course,  the  whole  scene  was  of  the 
most  beautiful  and  tranquil  kind.  The  soft  whis 
pering  of  the  evening  breeze,  and  the  distant,  sub 
dued  and  melancholy  howl  of  the  wrolf,  were  the 
only  sounds  that  reached  my  ears.  It  was  a  very 
solitary,  and  yet  a  very  delightful  hour. 

Basil.  I  should  not  like  to  be  by  myself  in  such 
a  place  as  that. 

Hunter.  There  is  another  high  bluff,  not  many 
miles  from  the  cedar  post  of  poor  Floyd,  that  is 
well  known  as  the  burial-place  of  Blackbird,  a 
famous  rhief  of  the  0-ma-haw  tribe  ;.  the  mannei 
of  his  burial  was  extremely  strange.  As  I  was 
pulling  up  the  river,  a  traveller  told  me  the  story  ; 
and,  when  I  had  heard  it,  we  pushed  our  canoe 
into  a  small  creek,  that  I  might  visit  the  spot. 
Climbing  up  the  velvet  sides  of  the  bluff,  I  sat  me 
down  by  the  cedar  post  on  the  grave  of  Black 
bird. 


90          »  THE   INDIANS    OF 

Austin.  But  what  was  he  story?  What  was 
there  strange  in  the  burial  of  the  chief? 

Hunter.  Blackbird  on  his  way  home  from  the 
city  of  Washington,  where  he  had  been,  died 
with  the  small-pox.  Before  his  death,  he  desired 
his  warriors  to  bury  hirn  on  the  bluff',  sitting  on 
the  back  of  his  favourite  war-horse,  that  he  might 
see,  as  he  said,  the  Frenchmen  boating  up  and 
down  the  river.  His  beautiful  white  steed  was 
led  up  to  the  top  of  the  bluff,  and  there  the  body 
of  Blackbird  was  placed  astride  upon  him. 

Brian.  What  a  strange  thing ! 

Hunter.  Blackbird  had  his  bow  in  his  hand, 
his  beautiful  head  dress  of  \var-eagle  plumes  on 
his  head,  his  shield  and  quiver  at  his  side,  and 
his  pipe  and  medicine  bag.  His  tobacco  pouch 
was  filled,  to  supply  him  on  his  journey  to  the 
hunting-grounds  of  his  fathers  ;  and  he  had  flint 
and  steel  wherewith  to  light  his  pipe  by  the  way. 
Every  warrior  painted  his  hand  with  vermilion, 
and  then  pressed  it  against  the  white  horse,  leav 
ing  a  mark  behind  him.  After  the  necessary 
ceremonies  had  been  performed,  Blackbird  and 
his  white  war-horse  were  covered  over  with  turf, 
till  they  were  no  more  seen. 

Austin.  But  was  the  white  horse  buried  alive  ? 

Hunter.  He  was.  The  turfs  were  put  about 
his  feet,  then  piled  up  his  legs,  then  placed  against 
his  sides,  then  over  his  back,  and  lastly  over 
Blackbird  himself  and  his  war-eagle  plumes. 

Brian.  That  was  a  very  cruel  deed !  They 
had  no  business  to  smother  that  beautiful  white 
horse  in  that  way. 


NORTH   AMER1JA,  91 

Basil.  And  so  I  say.  It  was  a  great  shaft  ie, 
and  I  do  not  like  that  Blackbird. 

Hunter.  Indians  have  strange  customs.  Now 
I  am  on  the  subject  of  prairte  scenes,  I  ought  to 
speak  a  word  of  the  prairies  on  the  Red  River. 
I  had  been  for  some  time  among  the  Creeks  and 
Choctaws,  crossing,  here  and  there,  ridges  of 
wooded  lands,  and  tracts  of  rich  herbage,  with 
blue  mountains  in  the  distance,  when  I  came  to 
a  prairie  scene  of  a  new  character.  For  miles 
together  the  ground  was  covered  with  vines, 
bearing  endless  clusters  of  large  delicious  grapes  ; 
and  then,  after  crossing  a  few  broad  valleys  of 
green  turf,  our  progress  was  stopped  by  hundreds 
of  acres  of  plum  trees,  bending  to  the  very 
ground  with  their  fruit.  Among  these  were  inter 
spersed  patches  of  rose  trees,  wild  currants,  and 
gooseberries,  with  prickly  pears,  and  the  most 
beautiful  and  sweet-scented  wild  flowers. 

Austin.  I  never  heard  of  so  delightful  a  place. 
What  do  you  think  of  the  prairies  now,  Basil  ? 
Should  you  not  like  to  gather  some  of  those 
fruits  and  flowers,  Brian  ? 

Hunter.  And  then  just  as  I  was  stretching  out 
my  hand  to  gather  some  of  the  delicious  produce 
of  that  paradise  of  fruit  and  flowers,  I  heard  the 
sound  of  a  rattlesnake,  that  was  preparing  to  make 
a  spring,  and  immediately  I  saw  the  glistening 
eyes  of  a  copper-head,  which  I  had  disturbed 
beneath  the  tendrils  and  leaves. 

Basil.  What  do  you  think  of  tie  prairie  now, 
Austin  ? 


92  THE   INDIANS   OF 

Brian.  And  should  you  not  like  to  gather  some 
of  those  fruits  and  flowers  ? 

Austin.  I  never  suspected  that  there  would  be 
such  snakes  among  them. 

Hunter.  The  wild  creatures  of  these  delightful 
spots  may  be  said  to  live  in  a  garden ;  here  they 
pass  their  lives,  rarely  disturbed  by  the  approach 
of  man.  The  hunter  and  the  trappfer,  however 
thoughtlessly  they  pursue  their  calling,  are  at 
times  struck  with  the  amazing  beauty  of  the 
scenes  that  burst  upon  them.  God  is  felt  to  be 
in  the  prairie.  The  very  solitude  disposes  the 
mind  to  acknowledge  Him ;  earth  and  skies  pro 
claim  his  presence  ;  the  fruits  of  the  ground  de 
clare  his  bounty  ;  and,  in  the  flowers,  ten  thousand 
forget-me-nots  bring  his  goodness  to  remembrance. 
"Great  is  the  Lord,  and  greatly  to  be  praised; 
and  his  greatness  is  unsearchable."* 

Jlustin.  I  could  not  have  believed  that  there 
had  been  such  beautiful  places  in  the  prairies. 

Hunter.  Some  parts  are  varied,  and  others 
monotonous.  Some  are  beautiful,  and  others  far 
from  being  agreeable.  The  Prairie  la  Crosse,  the 
Prairie  du  Chien,  and  the  Couteau  des  Prairies  on 
the  Mississippi,  with  the  prairies  on  the  Missouri, 
all  have  some  points  of  attraction.  I  did  intend 
to  say  a  little  about  Swan  Lake,  the  wild  rice 
grounds,  Lover's  Leap,  the  salt  meadows  on  the 
Missouri,  the  Savannah  in  the  Florida  pine  woods, 
and  Red  Pipe-stone  Quarry ;  but  as  I  intend  to 

*Ps.  cxlv.  3. 


NORTH    AMERICA.  93 

give  you  the  history  of  Nikkanochee,  perhaps  I 
had  better  begin  with  it  at  once. 

Jiustin.  We  shall  like  to  hear  of  Nikkanochee, 
but  it  is  so  pleasant  to  hear  about  the  prairies, 
that  you  must,  if  you  please,  tell  us  a  little  more 
about  them  first. 

Basil.  I  want  to  hear  about  those  prairie  dogs. 

Brian.     And  I  want  to  hear  of  Lover's  Leap. 

Austin.  What  I  wish  to  hear  the  most,  is  about 
Red  Pipe-stone  quarry.  Please  to  tell  us  a  little 
about  them  all.  ^ 

Hunter.  Well !  If  you  will  be  satisfied  with 
a  little,  I  will  go  on.  Swan  Lake  is  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  objects  in  the  prairies  of  our 
country.  It  extends  for  many  miles;  and  the 
islands  with  which  it  abounds  are  richly  covered 
with  forest  trees.  Fancy  to  yourselves  unnum 
bered  islands  with  fine  trees,  beautifully  grouped 
together,  and  clusters  of  swans  on  the  water  in 
every  direction.  If  you  want  to  play  at  Robinson 
Crusoe,  one  of  the  islands  on  Swan  Lake  will  be 
just  the  place  for  you. 

Basil.     Well  may  it  be  called  Swan  Lake. 

Hunter.  The  first  time  that  I  saw  wild  rice 
gathered,  it  much  surprised  and  amused  me.  A- 
party  of  Sioux  Indian  women  were  paddling 
about,  near  the  shores  of  a  large  lake,  in  canoes 
made  of  bark.  While  one  woman  paddled  the 
canoe,  the  other  gathered  the  wild  rice,  which 
flourished  there  in  great  abundance.  By  bending 
it  over  the  canoe  with  one  stick,  and  then  striking 
it  with  another ,  the  grains  of  rice  fell  in  profu 
sion  into  the  canoe.  In  this  way  they  pro- 


94  THE    INDIANS    OF 

ceeded,  till  they  obtained  full  cargoes  of  wild 
rice  for  food. 

Brian.  I  wish  we  had  wild  rice  growing  in 
our  pond. 

Hunter.  What  I  have  to  say  of  Lover's  Leap 
is  a  little  melancholy.  On  the  east  side  of  Lake 
Pepin,  on  the  Mississippi,  stands  a  bold  rock, 
lifting  up  its  aspiring  head  some  six  or  seven 
hundred  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  lake.  Some 
years  since,  as  the  story  goes,  an  Indian  chief 
wished  his  daughter  to  take  a  husband  that  she 
did  not  like.  The  daughter  declined,  but  the 
father  insisted ;  and  the  poor,  distracted  girl,  to 
get  rid  of  her  difficulty,  threw  herself,  in  the  pre 
sence  of  her  tribe,  from  the  top  of  the  rock,  and 
was  dashed  to  pieces. 

Basil.  Poor  girl,  indeed !  Her  father  was  a 
very  cruel  man. 

Hunter.  The  chief  was  cruel,  and  his  daughter 
rash ;  but  we  must  not  be  too  severe  in  judging 
those  who  have  no  better  standard  of  right  and 
wrong  than  the  customs  of  their  uncivilized  tribe. 
It  was  on  the  Upper  Missouri  river,  towards  the 
mouth  of  the  Teton  river,  that  I  came  all  at  once 
on  a  salt  meadow.  You  would  have  thought 
that  it  had  been  snowing  for  an  hour  or  two, 
for  the.  salt  lay  an  inch  or  two  thick  on  the 
ground. 

Austin.     What  could  have  brought  it  there  ? 

Hunter.  The  same  Almighty  hand  that  spread 
out  the  wrild  prairie,  spread  the  salt  upon  its  sur 
face.  There  are  salt  springs  in  many  places, 
where  the  salt  w  ter  overflows  the  prairie.  The 


NORTH    AMERICA.  95 

hot  sun  evaporates  the  water,  and  the  salt  i&  left 
behind. 

Brian.     WeJffthat  is  very  curious. 

Hunter.  The  buffaloes  and  other  animals  come 
by  thousands  to  lickMhe  salt,  so  that  what  with 
the  green  prairie  around,  the  white  salt,  and  the 
black  buffaloes,  the  contrast  in  colour  is  very 
striking.  Though  Florida  is,  to  a  great  extent,  a 
sterile  wilderness,  yet,  for  that  very  reason,  so$ne 
of  its  beautiful  spots  appear  the  more  beautiful. 
There  are  swamps  enough,  and  alligators  enough, 
to  make  the  traveller  in  those  weary  wilds  cheer 
less  and  disconsolate ;  but  when,  after  plodding, 
day  after  day,  through  morasses  and  interminable 
pine  woods,  listening  to  nothing  but  the  cry  of 
cranes  and  the  howling  of  wolves,  he  comes 
suddenly  into  an  open  plain  covered  with,  a 
carpet  of  grass  and  myriads  of  wild  flowers,  his 
eye  brightens,  and  he  recovers  his  cheerfulness 
and  strength.  He  again  feels  that  God  is  in  the 
prairie. 

Basil.     Remember  the  alligators,  Austin  ! 

Brian.  And  the  howling  wolves!-  What  do 
you  think  of  them  ? 

Hunter.  The  Red  Pipe-stone  Quarry  is  between 
the  Upper  Mississippi  and  the  Upper  Missouri. 
It  is  the  place  where  the  Indians  of  the  country 
procure  the  red  stone,  with  which  they  make  all 
their  pipes.  The  place  is  considered  by  them  to 
be  sacred.  They  say  that  the  Great  Spirit  used 
to  stand  on  the  rock,  and  that  the  blood  of  the 
buffaloes  which  he  ate  there  ran  into  the  rocks 
below,  and  turned  them  red. 


96  THE   INDIANS   OF 

Austin.     That  is  the  place  I  want  to  see. 

Hunter.  If  you  go  there,  you  must  take  great 
care  of  yourself;  for  the  Sioux  will  be  at  your 
heels.  As  I  said,  they  hold  the  place  sacred,  and 
consider  the  approach  of  a  white  man  a  kind  of 
profanation.  The  place  is  visited  by  all  the 
neighbouring  tribes  for  stone  with  which  to  make 
their  pipes,  whether  they  are  at  war  or  peace ;  for 
the  Great  Spirit,  say  they,  always  watches  over 
it,  and  the  war-club  and  seal  ping-knife  are  there 
harmless.  There  are  hundreds  of  old  inscriptions 
on  the  face  of  the  rocks ;  and  the  wildest  tradi 
tions  are  handed  down,  from  father  to  son,  re 
specting  the  place.  Some  of  the  Sioux  say,  that 
the  Great  Spirit  once  sent  his  runners  abroad,  to 
call  together  all  the  tribes  that  were  at  war,  to  the 
Red  Pipe-stone  Quarry.  As  he  stood  on  the  top 
of  the  rocks,  he  took  out  a  piece  of  red  stone,  and 
made  a  large  pipe  ;  he  smoked  it  over  them,  and 
told  them,  that,  though  at  war,  they  must  always 
be  at  peace  at  that  place,  for  that  it  belonged  to 
one  as  much  as  another,  and  that  they  must  all 
make  their  pipes  of  the  stone.  Having  thus 
spoken,  a.  thick  cloud  of  smoke  from  his  great 
red  pipe  rolled  over  them,  and  in  it  he  vanished 
away.  Just  at  the  moment  that  he  took  the  last 
wThiff  of  his  great,  long,  red  pipe,  the  rocks  were 
wrapped  in  a  blaze  of  fire,  so  that  the  surface  of 
them  was  melted.  '  Two  squaws,  then,  in  a  flash 
of  fire,  sunk  under  the  two  medicine  rocks,  and 
no  one  can  take  away  red  stone  from  the  place 
without  their  leave.  Where  the  gospel  is  un 
known,  there  is  nothing  too  improbable  to  be 


NORTH    AMERICA. 


97 


received.  The  day  will,  no  doubt,  arrive,  when 
the  wild  traditions  of  Red  Pipe-stone  Quarry  will 
be  done  away,  and  the  folly  and  wickedness  of 
all  such  superstitions  be  plainly  seen. 

Here  the  hunter,' having  to  attend  his  sheep, 
left  the  three  brothers,  to  amuse  themselves  for 
half  an  hour  with  the  curiosities  in  his  cottage ; 
after  which,  he  returned  to  redeem  his  pledge,  by 
relating  the  history  he  had  promised  them. 


Indian  Pipes. 


98  TW&.   INDIANS    OF 


CHAPTER  VII. 

"  AND  now,"  said  the  hunter,  u  for  my  ac 
count  of  Nikkanochee.*  I  met  with  him  in 
Florida,  his  own  country,  when  he  was  quite  a 
child  ;  indeed  he  is  even  now  but  a  boy,  being 
not  -more  than  twelve  or  thirteen  years  of  age. 
The  Seminole  Indians,  a  mixed  tribe,  from  whom 
prince  Nikkanochee  is  descended,  were  a  warlike 
people,  settled  on  the  banks  of  the  River  Chatta- 
hoochee.  In  a  battle  which  took  place  between 
the  Indians  and  a  party  of  whites,  under  Major 
Dade,  out  of  a  hundred  and  fourteen  white  men, 
only  two  escaped  the  tomahawks  of  their  oppo 
nents.  A  Seminole  was  about  to  despatch  one 

*  This  sketch  is  supposed  to  be  a  narrative  of  facts, 
though  the  authority  for  it  is  not  within  the  publishers' 
reach. 


NORTH   AMERICA.  99 

of  these  two,  when  he  suddenly  called  to  mind 
that  the  soldier  had  once  helped  him  in  fitting  a 
handle  to  his  axe.  This  arrested  his  uplifted 
weapon,  and  the  life  of  the  soldier  was  spared." 

Austin.  Noble  !  noble !  If  all  the  Seminoles 
were  like  him,  they  were  a  noble  people. 

Hunter.  The  tribe  had  good  and  bad  qualities ; 
but  I  tell  you  this  anecdote,  because  it  affords 
another  proof  that  the  hardy  Indian  warrior,  in 
the  midst  of  all  his  relentless  animosity  against 
his  enemy,  is  still  sensible  of  a  deed  of  kindness. 
On  another  occasion,  when  the  Seminoles,  to 
avenge  injuries  which  their  tribe  had  received, 
wasted  the  neighbourhood  with  fire  and  toma 
hawk,  they  respected  the  dwelling  of  one  who 
had  shown  kindness  to  some  of  their  tribe. 
Even  though  they  visited  his  house,  and  cooked 
their  food  at  his  hearth,  they  did  no  injury  to  his 
person  or  his  property.  Other  dwellings  around 
it  were  burned  to  the  ground,  but  for  years  his 
habitation  remained  secure  from  any  attack  on  the 
part  of  the  grateful  Seminoles. 

Basil.  When  I  go  abroad,  I  will  always  be 
have  kindly  to  the  poor  Indians. 

Hunter.  The  father  of  Nikkanochee  was  king 
of  the  Red  Hills,  in  the  country  of  the  Seminoles ; 
but  not  being  very  much  distinguished  as  a  war 
rior,  he  gave  up  the  command  of  his  fighting 
men  to  his  brother  Oseola,  a  chief  famous  for 
bodily  strength  and  courage.  Before  the  war 
broke  out  between  the  Seminoles,  Oseola  was 
kind  and  generous ;  but  when  once  the  war-cry 
bad  rung  through  the  woods,  and  he  tomahawk 


100  THE   INDIANS   OF 

had  been  raised,  he  became  stern  and  implacable. 
He  was  the  champion  of  his  nation,  find  the  terror 
of  the  pale  faces  opposed  to  him. 

Brian.  He  must  have  made  terrible  work  with 
his  tomahawk ! 

Hunter.  No  doubt  he  did,  for  he  was  bold, 
and  had  never  been  taught  to  control  his  passions. 
The  command  of  the  Saviour  had  never  reached 
his  ears:  "Love  your  enemies,  bless  them  that 
curse  you,  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you,  and 
pray  for  them  which  despitefully  use  you,  and 
persecute  you."  The  red  man  of  the  forest  and 
the  prairie  has  had  much  to  embitter  his  spirit 
against  his  enemies  ;  but  I  will  proceed.  It  was 
in  the  year  1835,  that  between  two  and  three 
hundred  red  warriors  assembled  at  Camp  King,  to 
hold  a  "  talk,"  or  council.  They  were  met  by  a 
battalion  of  white  soldiers,  who  had  two  generals 
with  them.  At  this  council,  it  was  proposed  by 
the  whites  that  a  contract  should  be  made  between 
the  two  parties,  wherein  the  Seminoles  should 
give  up  their  lands  in  Florida  in  exchange  for 
other  lands  at  a  great  distance  from  the  place. 
Some  of  the  red  warriors  were  induced  to  make 
a  cross  on  the  contract  as  their  signature,  showing 
that  they  agreed  therewith ;  but  Oseola  saw  that 
such  a  course  was  bartering  away  his  country,  and 
sealing  the  ruin  of  his  nation. 

Jiustin.  I  hope  he  did  not  put  his  sign  to  it. 

Brian.  So  do  I,  and  I  hope  he  persuaded  all 
the  rest  of  the  red  warriors  not  to  sign  it. 

Hunter.  When  thny  asked  him  in  his  turn  to 
sign  the  contract,  his  lip  began  to  curl  with  con- 


NORTH    AMERICA.  101 

tempt,  and  his  eye  to  flash  with  fiery  indignation. 
uYes!"  said  he,  drawing  a  poniard  from  his 
bosom,  with  a  haughty  frown  on  his  brow: 
"Yes!"  said  he,  advancing  and  dashing  his  dag 
ger  while  he  spoke,  not  only  through  the  contract, 
hut  also  through  the  table  on  which  it  lay ; 
"there  is  my  mark!" 

Austin.  Well  done,  brave  Oseola ! 

Brian.  That  is  just  the  way  that  he  ought  to 
have  acted. 

Basil.  He  was  a  very  bold  fellow.     But  what 
did  the  generals  say  to  him  ? 

Hunter.  His  enemies,  the  whites,  (for  they  were 
enemies,)  directly  seized  him,  and  bound  him  to  a 
tree.  This  was  done  in  a  cruel  manner,  for  the 
cords  cut  deep  into  his  flesh.  After  this,  he  was 
manacled  and  kept  as  a  prisoner  in  solitary  con 
finement.  When  it  was  thought  that  his  spirit 
was  sufficiently  tamed,  and  that  what  he  had  suf 
fered  would  operate  as  a  warning  to  his  people, 
'  he  was  set  at  liberty. 

Austin.  The  whites  acted  a  cruel  part,  and  they 
ought  to  have  been  ashamed  of  themselves. 

"Brian.  Yes,  indeed.  But  what  did  Oseola  do 
when  he  was  free  ? 

Hunter.  Revenge  is  dear  to  every  one  whose 
heart  God  has  not  changed.  No  wonder  that  it 
should  burn  in  the  bosom  of  an  untaught  Indian. 
He  had  never  heard  the  words  of  Holy  Scripture, 
u  Vengeance  is  mine;  I  will  repay,  saith  the 
Lord,"  Rom.  xii.  19  ;  but  rather  looked  on  re 
venge  as  a  virtue.  Hasting  to  his  companions, 


102  THE   INDIANS   OP 

he  made  the  forest  echo  with  the  wild  war-whoop 
that  he  raised  in  defiance  of  his  enemies. 

Brian.  I  thought  he  would !  That  is  the  very 
thing  that  I  expected  he  would  do. 

Hunter.  Many  of  the  principal  whites  fell  by 
the  rifles  of  the  Indians ;  and  Oseola  sent  a  proud 
message  to  General  Clinch,  telling  him  that  the 
Seminoles  had  a  hundred  and  fifty  barrels  of  gun 
powder,  every  grain  of  which  should  be  consumed 
before  they  would  submit  to  the  whites.  He  told 
him,  too,  that  the  pale  faces  should  be  led  a  dance 
for  five  years  for  the  indignities  they  had  put  upon 
him.  Oseola  and  the  Seminoles  maintained  the 
war  until  the  whites  had  lost  eighteen  hundred 
men,  and  expended  vast  sums  of  money.  At 
last,  the  brave  chieftain  was  made  prisoner  by 
treachery. 

Austin.  How  was  it  ?  How  did  they  take  hira 
prisoner  ? 

Hunter.  The  whites  invited  Oseola  to  meet 
them,  that  a  treaty  might  be  made,  and  the  war 
brought  to  an  end.  Oseola  went  with  his  war 
riors  ;  but  no  sooner  had  he  and  eight  of  his  war 
riors  placed  their  rifles  against  a  tree,  protected  as 
they  thought  by  the  flag  of  truce,  than  they  were 
surrounded  by  a  large  body  of  soldiers,  and  made 
prisoners. 

Brian.  That  was  an  unjust  and  treacherous 
act.  Oseola  ought  to  have  kept  away  from  them. 

Basil.  And  what  did  the}  do  to  Oseola  ?  Did 
they  kill  him? 

Hunter.  They  at  first  confined  him  in  the  fort 
at  St.  Augustine,  and  afterwards  in  a  dungeon  at 


NORTH   AMERICA.  103 

Sullivan's  Island,  near  Charleston.  It  was  in  the 
latter  place  that  he  died,  his  head  pillowed  on  the 
faithful  bosom  of  his  wife,  who  never  forsook 
him,  and  never  ceased  to  regard  him  with  homage 
and  affection.  He  was  buried  at  Fort  Moultrie, 
where  he  has  a  monument,  inscribed  "  Oseola." 
His  companions,  had  they  been  present  at  his 
grave,  would  not  have  wept.  They  would  have 
been  glad  that  he  had  escaped  from  his  enemies. 

Austin.  Poor  Oseola! 

Hunter.  This  is  only  one  instance  among  thou 
sands,  in  which  the  red  man  has  fallen  a  victim 
to  the  treachery  and  injustice  of  the  whites.  It 
is  a  solemn  thought,  that  when  the  grave  shall 
give  up  its  dead,  and  the  trumpet  shall  call  to 
gether,  face  to  face,  the  inhabitants  of  all  nations 
to  judgment;  the  deceitful,  the  unjust  and  the 
cruel  will  have  to  meet  those  whom  their  deceit, 
their  injustice  and  cruelty  have  destroyed.  Well 
may  the  oppressor  tremble.  "  The  Lord  of  hosts 
hath  purposed,  and  who  shall  disannul  it  ?  and  his 
hand  is  stretched  out,  and  who  shall  turn  it 
back  ?» 

Basil.  But  you  have  not  yet  told  us  of  Nik- 
kanochee.  Please  to  let  us  hear  all  about  him, 

Brian.  Ay ;  we  have  forgotten  Nikkanochee. 

Hunter.  I  will  now  tell  you  all  that  I  know  of 
him ;  but  I  thought  you  would  like  to  hear  of  his 
uncle,  he  being  so  famous  a  warrior.  Nikkano 
chee  is  called  Oseola  Nikkanochee,  prince  of 
Eoonchatti,  in  order  that  he  may  bear  in  mind 
Oseola,  his  warlike  uncle,  and  also  Econchatti- 
mico,  king  of  the  Red  Hills,  his  father.  It  is 


104  THE    INDIANS   OF 

thougnt  that  Nikkanochee  was  born  on  the  banfcrs 
of  the  river  Chattahoochee.  He  can  just  remem 
ber  the  death  of  his  mother,  when  he  was  left 
alone  with  her  in  a  wigwarn ;  but  what  I  have  to 
tell  you  about  Nikkanochee  took  place  during  the 
lifetime  of  his  father,  and  his  uncle  Oseola.  The 
white  men  being  at  war  with  the  Seminoles,  the 
war-men  of  the  latter  were  obliged  to  band  them 
selves  tegether  to  fight,  leaving  their  squaws  and 
children  to  travel  as  well  as  they  could  to  a  place 
of  safety.  Nikkanochee,  child  as  he  was,  travelled 
with  the  women  through  the  pine  forests  night 
and  day ;  but  a  party  of  horse-soldiers  overtook 
them,  and  drove  them  as  captives  towards  the 
settlements  of  the  whites. 

Brian.  Ay !  now  Nikkanochee  is  a  prisoner  \ 
What  is  to  become  of  him  now  ? 

Hunter.  The  mothers  were  almost  frantic.  The 
wigwams  they  saw  on  the  road  had  been  destroy 
ed  by  fire,  and  the  whole  country  had  been  de 
vastated.  At  nightfall  they  came  to  a  village ; 
and  here,  when  it  grew  dark,  Nikkanochee,  a 
little  girl  and  two  Indian  women  made  their 
escape.  For  some  days  they  fled,  living  on 
water-melons  and  Indian  corn,  till  they  fell  in 
with  a  party  of  their  own  war-men,  and  among 
them  was  Nikkanochee's  father. 

Austin.  I  hope  they  were  safe  then. 

Hunter.  Not  being  numerous,  they  were  obliged 
to  retreat.  Pursued  by  their  enemies,  they  fled, 
sometimes  on  horseback,  and  sometimes  on  foot ; 
a  part  ot  the  way  through  the  swamps,  thickets 
and  pine  forests.  At  night,  while  the  party  were 


NORT&    AMERICA.  105 

sitting  round  a  fire,  in  the  act  of  preparing  for  re 
freshment  some  dried  meat,  and  a  wild  root  of  the 
woods  reduced  into  flour,  an  alarm  was  given.  In 
a  moment  they  were  obliged  once  more  to  fly,  for 
their  enemies  were  upon  their  track. 

Brian.  Dreadful !  dreadful ! 

Hunter.  The  fire  was  put  out  by  the  Indians, 
their  blankets  hastily  rolled  up,  and  the  squaws 
and  children  sent  to  hide  themselves  in  the  tangled 
reeds  and  brushwood  of  a  swamp,  while  the  war- 
men  turned  against  the  enemy.  The  Indians  beat 
them  off,  but  Econchatti-mico  was  wounded  in 
the  wrist,  a  musket  ball  having  passed  through  it. 

Brian.  Did  Econchatti  die  of  his  wound  ? 

Hunter.  No  ;  but  he  and  the  war-men,  expect 
ing  that  their  enemies  would  return  in  greater 
numbers,  were  again  forced  to  fly.  The  dreary  pine 
forest,  the  weedy  marsh,  and  the  muddy  swamp 
wrere  once  more  passed  through.  Brooks  and 
rapid  rivers  were  crossed  by  Econchatti,  wounded 
as  he  was,  with  his  son  on  his  back.  He  swam 
with  one  hand,  for  the  other  was  of  little  use  to 
him. 

Austin.  Econchatti  seems  to  be  as  brave  a  man 
as  Oseola.  Did  they  escape  from  their  enemies? 

Hunter.  While  they  were  sitting  dowrn  to  par 
take  of  some  wild  turkey  and  deer,  with  which 
their  bows  and  arrows  had  furnished  them  during 
their  flight,  their  enemies  again  fell  upon  them. 
The  Seminoles  had,  perhaps,  altogether  two  thou 
sand  warriors,  with  Oseola  at  their  head ;  but 
then  the  whites  had  at  least  ten  thousand,  to  say 
nothing  of  fheir  being  much  jetter  armed.  No 


106  THE    INDIANS    OF 

wonder  that  the  Seminoles  were  compelled  to  fly, 
and  only  to  fight  when  they  found  a  favourable 
opportunity.  But  I  must  not  dwell  longer  than 
necessary  on  my  account ;  suffice  it  to  say,  that, 
after  all  the  bravery  of  the  warriors,  and  all  the 
exertions  of  Econchatti,  Nikkanochee  once  more 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 

Basil.  Oh,  that  was  terrible !  I  hoped  he 
would  get  away  safe. 

Brian.  So  did  I.  I  thought  the  white  men 
would  be  tired  of  following  them  into  those  dreary 
forests  and  muddy  swamps. 

Jiustin.  How  was  it  that  Nikkanochee  was 
taken  ? 

Hunter.  He  was  captured  on  the  25th  of 
August,  1836,  by.  some  soldiers  who  were  scouring 
the  country,  and  brought  by  them  the  next  day 
to  Colonel  Warren.  Poor  little  fellow,  he  was 
so  worn,  emaciated  and  cast  down,  that  he  could 
not  be  looked  upon  without  pity.  For  several 
weeks  he  hardly  spoke  a  word.  No  tear,  no  sob, 
nor  sigh  escaped  him  ;  but  he  appeared  to  be 
continually  on  the  watch  to  make  his  escape. 
The  soldiers  who  had  taken  him  prisoner  declared 
that  they  had  followed  his  track  full  forty  miles 
before  they  came  up  to  him.  From  the  rising  to 
the  setting  of  the  sun  they  hurried  on,  and  still  he 
was  before  them.  Nikkanochee  must  then  hav* 
been  only  about  five  or  six  years  old. 

Basil  Why,  I  could  not  walk  so  far  as  forty 
miles  to  save  my  life.  How  did  he  manage  it  ? 

Hunter.  You  have  not  been  brought  up  like  an 
Indian.  Fatigue  and  hardship  and  danger  are  en- 


NORTH   AMERICA.  107 

dured  by  red  men  from  their  earliest  infancy.  TVe 
back  to  the  burden,  Basil.  You  have  heard  the  say 
ing,  "  God  tempers  the  wind  to  the  shorn  'amb.'* 
When  the  soldiers  came  up  to  Nikkanochee,  he 
darted  into  the  bushes  and  long  ^lass,  where 
they  found  him.  At  first,  he  uttered  a  scream ; 
but,  soon  after,  he  offered  the  soldiers  a  peach 
which  he  had  in  his  hand,  that  they  might  let  him 
go.  Placed  on  horseback  behind  one  of  the 
troopers,  he  was  brought  to  the  military  station. 

Brian.  They  have  him  now,  then,  fast  enough. 
I  wonder  what  became  of  Econchatti-mico,  his 
father. 

Hunter.  That  is  not  known.  I  should  have 
told  you  that,  in  the  Seminole  language,  "  Econ," 
means  hill  or  hills ;  "  Chatti,"  is  red ;  and  the 
signification  of  "  mico,"  is  king :  so  that  Econ- 
chatti-mico  is,  all  together,  King  of  the  Red  Hills. 
The  soldiers  who  captured  Nikkanochee  disputed 
among  themselves  whether  he  ought  not  to  be 
filled.  Most  of  them  were  for  destroying  every 
Indian  man,  woman,  or  child  they  met ;  but  one 
of  them,  named  James  Shields,  was  determined 
to  save  the  boy's  life,  and  it  was  owing  to  his 
humanity  that  Nikkanochee  was  not  put  to  death. 

Brian.  That  man  deserves  to  be  rewarded.  I 
shall  not  forget  James  Shields. 

Hunter.  When  Nikkanochee  had  afterwards 
become  a  little  more  reconciled  to  his  situation, 
he  gave  some  account  of  the  way  in  which  he 
was  taken.  He  said,  that  as  he  was  travelling 
with  his  father  and  the  Indians,  the  white  men 
came  upon  them,  According  to  Indian  custom, 


108  THE   INDIANS   OF 

when  a  party  is  surprised,  the  women  and  children 
immediately  fly  in  different  directions,  to  hide  in 
the  bushes  and  long  grass,  till  the  war-men  return 
to  them  after  the  fight  or  alarm  is  over.  Poor 
little  Nikkanochee,  in  trying  to  cross  a  rivulet, 
fell  back  again  into  it.  Besides  this  misfortune, 
he  met  with  others,  so  that  he  could  not  keep  up 
with  the  party.  He  still  kept  on,  for  he  saw  an 
old  coffee-pot  placed  on  a  log ;  and  Indians,  in 
their  flight,  place  things  in  their  track,  and  also 
break  off  twigs  from  the  bushes,  that  others  of 
their  tribt  may  know  how  to  follow  them.  Nik- 
kanochee  came  to  a  settlement  of  whites,  but  he 
struck  out  of  the  road  to  avoid  it.  He  afterwards 
entered  a  peach  orchard,  belonging  to  a  deserted 
house,  and  here  he  satisfied  his  hunger.  It  was 
then  getting  dark,  but  the  soldiers  saw  him,  and 
set  off  after  him  at  full  .gallop.  In  vain  he  hid 
himself  in  the  grass,  and  lay  as  still  as  a  partridge, 
for  they  discovered  him  and  took  him  away. 

Austin.  I  wonder  that  Econchatti-mico,  his 
father,  or  the  brave  Oseola,  his  uncle,  did  not 
rescue  him. 

Hunter.  It  is  thought  that  they  did  return  upon 
the  back  trail,  for  the  place  they  had  been  in  was 
shortly  after  surrounded  by  Indians,  with  Oseola 
at  their  head ;  but  just  then  a  reinforcement  of 
soldiers  arrived,  and  the  Indians  were  obliged  to 
retire.  Had  not  the  soldiers  come  up  just  in 
time,  the  whole  garrison  might  have  fallen  by  the 
rifles  and  scalping-knives  of  enraged  Seminoles. 
Nikkanochee  passed  a  year  with  the  family  of 
Colonel  Warren,  and  was  beloved  by  them  all 


NORTH   AMERICA.  109 

There  was,  no  doubt,  much  sympathy  felt  for 
him,  as  the  nephew  of  a  well-known  warrior,  and 
the  son  of  the  king  of  a  warlike  people.  Nik- 
kanochee  was  afterwards  taken  under  the  pro 
tection  of  a  gentleman,  who  became  much  attached 
to  him.  He  was  educated  with  other  children, 
and  taught  to  bend  the  knee  in  prayer,  and  to 
offer  praise  to  the  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of 
lords.  Thus,  in  the  providence  of  God,  was 
Nikkanochee  brought'  from  being  a  heathen  to 
be  a  wt^fshipper  of  the  true  God  and  Jesus  Christ. 

Brian.  How  much  longer  did  he  remain  abroad  ? 

Hunter.  A  very  few  years,  during  which  he 
became  expert  in  climbing,  swimming,  loading 
the  rifle,  and  using  the  spear.  He  was  bold 
enough  to  attack  the  raccoon  and  otter,  and  was 
not  afraid  even  of  the  alligator ;  few  of  his  age 
were  more  hardy,  or  could  bear  an  equal  degree 
of  fatigue.  His  kind  protector,  who  adopted  him 
as  his  own  child,  took  him  over  to  England  in 
the  year  1840.  But  I  have  given  you  a  long 
account.  May  Nikkanochee  become  as  celebrated 
for  virtue  and  piety  as  his  ancestors  and  relations 
were  for  valour-  and  war. 


THE    INDIANS    OF 


, 


Besting  place  for  the  Dead. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

IN  the  next  visit  of  the  three  brothers  to  the 
hunter,  he  pointed  out  to  them  the  great  influence 
thai  religion  had  on  the  character  of  any  people  or 
country.  A  false  religion  brings  with  it  a  train 
of  unnumbered  evils ;  while  a  knowledge  of  the 
true  God,  and  a  living  faith  in  the  Saviour  who 
died  for  sinners,  continually  promote  among  man 
kind  principles  of  justice  and  kindness,  and  com 
municate  to  their  hearts  the  blessings  of  peace 
and  joy.  "  True  it  is,"  said  he,  "  that  among 
professedly  Christian  people  there  is  much  of  evil ; 
much  of  envy,  hatred,  malice,  uncharitableness ; 
of  injustice,  covetousness  and  cruelty.  But  this 
proceeds  not  from  Christianity,  but  from  the  fallen 
<4ate  of  human  nature,  which  nothing  but  the 


NORTH    AMERICA.  Ill 

grace  of  God  can  renew,  and  from  the  great  num 
ber  of  those  who  profess  to  be  Christians,  while 
they  are  uninfluenced  by  the  gospel  of  the  Re 
deemer.  Christianity  will  neither  allow  us  to  dis 
honour  God  by  bowing  down  to  idols,  nor  to  in 
jure  man  by  injustice  and  oppression.  The  In 
dians  of  our  country  are  not  found  bowing  down 
to  numberless  idols,  as  the  inhabitants  of  many 
countries  are :  they  worship  what  they  call  c  the 
Great  Spirit,'  with  a  deep  reverence,  humbling 
themselves  before  him,  and  undergoing  self-im 
posed  torments,  to  gain  his  good  will,  which  the 
generality  of  Christians,  in  the  manifestation  of 
their  faith,  would  find  it  hard  to  endure.  They 
believe  also  in  an  Evil  Spirit,  as  well  as  in  a  fu 
ture  state  ;  and  that  they  shall  be  happy  or  un 
happy,  just  as  they  have  done  good  or  evil,  ac 
cording  to  their  estimate  of  those  qualities  ,  but 
this  belief  is  mixed  up  with  mysteries  and  super 
stitions  without  number.  I  speak  of  Indians  in 
the  forest  and  the  prairie,  who  know  nothing 
of  God's  word,  and  who  have  never  heard  the 
voice  of  a  missionary." 

Hunter.  The  different  tribes  believe,  that  if 
they  are  expert  in  the  chase,  bold  in  battle,  and 
slay  maiay  of  their  enemies,  they  shall  live  for 
ever,  after  death,  in  beautiful  hunting-grounds, 
enjoying  the  pleasures  of  the  chase  continually. 
You  know  that  we,  as  Christians,  are  enjoined  to 
forgive  our  enemies ;  but  untutored  Indians  de 
light  in  revenge :  they  love  to  boast,  and  to  shed 
blood  ;  but  we  are  taught,  by  God's  holy  word, 
to  be  humble  and  merciful.  There  is  one  thing 


112 


THE    INDIANS    OF 


that  mingles  much  with  the  Indian  character;  and 
that  is,  medicine,  or  mystery.  I  must  try  to  make 
you  understand  it. 

Justin.     Yes ;  I  should,  like  to  know  all  about 
it  very  well.     . 

-  Hunter.    Go  where  you  may,  among  the  Choc- 
taws,  the  Seminoles,  the  Crows,  or  the  Blackfeet 
every  Indian  has  his  medicine  or  mystery  bao- 
which  he  regards  with  reverence,  and  will  pot 
part  with  for  any  price.     He  looks  upon  it  as  a 
kind  of  charm,  or  guardian  spirit,  that  is  to  keep 
him  from  evil.     He  takes  it  with  him  to  battle 
and  when  he  dies  it  is  his  companion. 

Austin.  But  what  is  it?     Is  there  any  thino-  m 
the  bag  ?     What  is  it  that  makes  medicine  ?  & 

Hunter.  Every  thing  that  is  mysterious  or 
wonderful  to  an  Indian,  he  regards  as  medicine. 
1  do  not  mean  such  medicine  as  we  get  from  an 
apothecary  ;  but  he  regards  it  as  something  awful 
and  connected  with  spirits.  This  is  a  strom? 
superstition,  which  has  laid  hold  of  the  red  man 
throughout  the  whole  of  his  race. 

Brian.  But  is  there  any  thing  in  the  medicine 
bag? 

Hunter.  The  medicine  bag  is  usually  the  skin 
of  some  animal,  such  as  the  beaver,  otterr  polecat, 
or  weazel;  or  of  some  bird,  as  the  eagle,  the 
magpie,  or  hawk  ;  or  of  some  reptile,  as  the  snake 
or  the  toad.  This  skin  is  stuffed  with  any  thing 
the  owner  chooses  to  put  into  it,  such  as  dry 
grass,  or  leaves ;  and  it  is  carefully  sewed  up  into 
some  curious  form,  and  ornamented  in  a  curious 
manner.  Some  nedicine  bags  are  very  large, 


NORTH   AMERICA.  113 

and  form  a  conspicuous  part  of  an  Indian's  ap 
pendages  ;•  while  others  are  very  small,  and 
altogether  hidden. 

Basil.  Why,  it  is  very  foolish  in  the  red  men 
to  carry  such  things  about  with  them. 

Hunter.  It  certainly  is  so  ;  but  their  fathers 
and  their  tribes  have  done  so  for  many  generations, 
and  it  would  be  a  disgrace  to  them,  in  their  own 
estimation,  if  they  neglected  to  do  the  same.  A 
young  Indian,  before  he  has  his  medicine  bag, 
goes  perhaps  alone  on  the  prairie,  or  wanders  in 
the  forest,  or  beside  some  solitary  lake.  Day 
after  day,  and  night  after  night,  he  fasts,  and  calls 
on  the  Great  Spirit  to  help  him  to  medicine.  When 
he  sleeps,  the  first  animal,  or  bird,  or  reptile  that 
he  dreams  of,  is  his  medicine.  If  it  be  a  weazel, 
he  catches  a  weazel,  and  it  becomes  his  medicine 
for  ever.  If  it  be  a  toad  or  snake,  he  kills  it ; 
and  if  it  be  a  bird,  he  shoots  It,  and  stuffs  its 
skin. 

Austin.  This  is  one  of  the  most  wonderful 
things  you  have  told  us  yet. 

Hunter.  W7hat  is  called  a  medicine,  man,  orv  a 
mystery  man,  is  one  who  ranks  high  in  his  tribe 
for  some  supposed  knowledge.  He  can  either 
make  buffaloes  come,  or  cure  diseases,  or  bring 
rain,  or  do  some  other  wonderful  things,  or  per 
suade  his  tribe  that  he  can  do  them.  Indeed, 
among  Indians,  hardly  any  thing  is  done  without 
the  medicine  man.  A  chief,  in  full  dress,  would 
as  soon  think  of  making  his  appearance  without 
his  head  as  without  his  medicine  bag.  There  is 
a  saying  among  the  Indians,  that  "a  man  lying 


114  THE   INDIANS   OF 

down,  is  medicine  to  the  grizzly  bear ;"  meaning, 
that  in  such  a  position  a  bear  will  not  hurt  him. 

Basil.  Is  it  true?  Will  not  the  grizzly  bear 
hurt  a  man  when  he  is  lying  down  ? 

Hunter.  So  many  people  say ;  but  I  should  be 
very  sorry  to  trust  the  grizzly  bear.  I  am  afraid 
that  he  would  be  paying  his  respects  to  me  in  a 
very  rough  way. 

Austin.  What  was  it  that  you  said  about  the 
medicine  man  bringing  rain? 

Hunter.  Some  of  them  are  famous  for  bringing 
rain  in  a  dry  season. 

Austin.  But  they  cannot  really  bring  rain. 

Hunter.  The  matter  is  managed  in  this  way. — 
When  once  they  undertake  to  bring  rain,  they 
keep  up  their  superstitious  ceremonies,  day  after 
day,  till  the  rain  comes.  Oftentimes  it  is  very 
long  before  they  succeed.  It  was  in  a  time  of 
great  drought,  trTat  I  once  arrived  at  the  Mandan 
village  on  the  Upper  Missouri.  At  the  different 
Indian  villages,  peas  and  beans,  wild  rice,  corn, 
melons,  squashes,  pumpkins,  peaches  and  straw 
berries  were  often  found  in  abundance  ;  but,  on 
this  occasion,  the  Mandans  had  a  very  poor  pros 
pect  of  gathering  any  thing  that  required  rain  to 
bring  it  to  perfection.  The  young  and  the  old 
were  crying  out  that  they  should  have  no  green 
corn. 

Austin.  Why  did  they  not  tell  the  medicine 
men  earlier  to  make  the  ra  in  come  ? 

Hunter.  They  did  so  :  but  it  was  not  quite  con 
venient  to  the  medicine  men ;  for  they  saw  clearly 
enough  that  there  was  not  the  slightest  appearance 


NORTH   AMERICA.  115 

of  rain.  After  putting  it  off,  day  after  day,  the 
sky  grew  a  little  cloudy  to  the  west,  when  the 
medicine  men  assembled  together  in  great  haste 
to  make  it  rain. 

Brian.  Ay  !  they  were  very  cunning. 

Hunter.  No  sooner  was  it  known  that  the  medi 
cine  men  were  met  together  in  the  mystery  lodge, 
than  the  village  was  all  in  commotion.  They 
wanted  rain,  and  they  were  very  sure  that  their 
medicine  men  could  bring  it  when  they  pleased. 
The  tops  of  the  wigwams  were  soon  crowded.  In 
the  mystery  lodge  a  fire  was  kindled,  round  which 
sat  the  rain-makers,  burning  sweet-smelling  herbs, 
smoking  the  medicine  pipe,  and  calling  on  the 
Great  Spirit  to  open  the  door  of  the  skies,  and  let 
out  the  rain. 

Basil.  That  is  the  way  they  make  it  rain,  is  it? 

Hunter.  At  last,  one  of  the  rain-makers  came 
out  of  the  mystery  lodge,  and  stood  on  the  top  of 
it  with  a  spear  in  his  hand,  which  he  brandished 
about  in  a  commanding  and  threatening  manner, 
lifting  it  up  as  though  he  were  about  to  hurl  it  up 
at  the  heavens.  He  talked  aloud  of  the  power 
of  his  medicine,  holding  up  his  medicine  bag  in 
one  hand,  and  his  spear  in  the  other  ;  but  it  was 
of  no  use,  neither  his  medicine  nor  his  spear  could 
make  it  rain ;  and,  at  the  setting  of  the  sun,  he 
came  down  from  his  elevated  position  in  dis 
grace.  ^ 

Jiustin.  Poor  fellow !  He  had  had  enough  of 
rain-making  for  one  day. 

Hunter.  For  several  days  the  same  ceremony 
was  carried  on,  until  a  rain-maker,  with  a  head- 


1 16  THE   INDIANS    OF 

dress  of  the  skins  of  birds,  ascem.ed  the  top'  of 
the  mystery  lodge,  with  a  bow  in  his  hand,  and  a 
quiver  at  his  back.  He  made  a  long  speech, 
which  had  in  it  much  about  thunder  and  lightning, 
and  black  clouds  and  drenching  rain  ;  for  the  sky 
was  growing  dark,  and  it  required  no  great  know 
ledge  of  the  weather  to  foretell  rain.  He  shot 
arrows  to  the  east  and  west,  and  others  to  the 
north  and  the  south,  in  honour  of  the  Great  Spirit 
who  could  send  the  rain  from  all  parts  of  the  skies. 
A  fifth  arrow  he  retained,  until  it  was  almost  cer 
tain  that  rain  was  at  hand.  Then,  sending  up 
the  shaft  from  his  bow,  with  all  his  might,  to 
make  a  hole,  as  he  said,  in  the  dark  cloud  over 
his  head,  he  cried  aloud  for  the  waters  to  pour 
down  at  his  bidding,  and  to  drench  him  to  the  skin. 
He  was  brandishing  his  bow  in  one  hand,  and  his 
medicine  in  the  other,  when  the  rain  came  down 
in  a  torrent.  The  whole  village  was  clamorous 
with  applause.  He  was  regarded  as  a  great  mystery 
man,  whose  medicine  was  very  powerful,  and  he 
rose  to  great  distinction  among  his  tribe.  You 
see,  then,  the  power  of  a  mystery  man  in  bringing 
rain.  Does  it  not  astonish  you  ? 

Austin.  No,  not  a  bit.  I  see  that  it  was  all  a 
cheat. 

Brian.  I  could  make  it  rain  myself  "as  well  as 
he  did,  for  he  never  shot  his  arrow  to  pierce  the 
cloud  till  it  was  over  his  head. 

Hunter.  To  be  a  mystery  man  is  regarded  as  a 
great  honour;  and  some  Indians  are  said  to  have 
.suspended  themselves  from  a  "pole,  with  splints 
through  their  flesh,  and  their  medicine  bags  in 


NORTH    AMERICA.  117 

their  hands,  looking  towards  the  sun,  for  a  whole 
day,  to  obtain  it. 

Austin.  When  I  go  among  the  Indians,  I.  wiL 
not  be  a1  mystery  man.      ;"  • 


Hunter.  Now  I  will  tell  you  something  about 
Indian  marriages.  There  is  very  little  ceremony 
in  an  Indian  marriage.  The  father  may  be  seen 
sitting  among  his  friends,  when  the  young  Indian 
comes  in  with  presents,  to  induce  him  to  give  him 
his  daughter  for  a  wife.  If  the  presents  are  not 
liked,  they  are  not  accepted ;  if  they  are  approved, 
the  father  takes  the  hand  of  his  daughter,  and  the 
hand  of  the  young  Indian,  and  slaps  them  to 
gether  ;  after  which  a  little  feasting  takes  place. 

Austin.  Why,  that  is  like  buying  a  wife. 

Hunter.  It  is ;  but  the  young  Indian  has  already 
gained  the  good  will  of  his  intended  wife :  not  by 
his  fine  clothes  and  his  wealth,  for  he  has  neither 
the  one  nor  the  other,  but  by  showing  her  the 
skins  of  the  bears  he  has  killed,  and  the  scalps 
and  scalp-locks  of  the  foes  he  has  slaughtered  ; 
and  by  telling  her  that  he  will  hunt  for  her,  that 
she  may  be  kept  from  want,  and  fight  for  her,  that 
she  may  be  protected  from  the  enem^  of  her 
tribe.  Indians  have  strange  customs:  some  flatten 
the  heads  of  their  young  children,  by  laying  them 
in  a  cradle,  with  a  pillow  for  the  back  of  the 
head,  and  then  pressing  the  forehead,  day  after 
day,  with  a  board,. that  comes  down  upon  it,  til] 
the  nose  R^d  forehead  form  a  straight  line. 


118  THE  INDIANS  OF 

Brian.  I  should  not  like  my  head  to  be  flat 
tened  in  that  manner. 

Hunter.  Children  are  carried  about  in  their 
cradles  on  the  backs  of  their  mothers,  Wherever 
they  go ;  and  when  children  die,  they  are  often 
left,  in  their  cradles,  floating  on  the  water  of  a 
brook  or  pool,  which  their  superstition  teaches 
them  to  regard  as  sacred.  A  cluster  of  these  little 
arks  or  cradles,  or  coffins  as  they  may  be  called, 
of  different  forms,  in  a  lone  pool,  is  a  very  pic 
turesque  and  affecting  sight. 

Basil.  I  shall  often  think  of  the  pool,  and  the 
little  cradles  swimming  on  it.  It  would  remind 
me  of  Moses  in  the  bulrushes. 

Hunter.  There  are  other  singular  customs 
among  the  Indians.  The  Kowyas,  the  Pawnees, 
the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  the  Osages,  and  the  lowas, 
all  shave  their  heads,  leaving  a  tuft  on  the  crown 
two  or  three  inches  in  length,  and  a  small  lock  in 
/the  middle  of  it,  as  long  as  they  can  make  it  grow. 
By  means  of  this  small  lock  of  hair  braided,  they 
ornament  the  tuft  with  a  crest  of  the  deer's  tail 
dyed  scarlet,  and  sometimes  add  to  it  a  war- 
eagle's  feather. 

Austin.  How  different  from  the  Crow  Indians ! 
They  do  not  shave  off  their  hair ;  but  let  it  grow 
till  it  hangs  down  to  the  very  ground. 

Hunter.  You  have  not  forgotten  that,  I  see. 
There  is  a  cruel  custom  among  the  Indians,  of 
exposing  their  aged  people,  that  is,  leaving  them 
alone  to  die.  ^  If  a  party  are  obliged  to  remove 
from  one  place  to  another  in  search  of  food,  and 
there  is  among  them  an  aged  man,  who  can  nc 


NORTH  AMERICA.  119 

longer  fight,  nor  hunt,  nor  fish,  nor  do  any  thing 
to  support  himself,  he  is  liable,  although  in  his 
time  lie  may  have  been  a  war-chief,  to  be  left 
alone  to  die.  I  have  seen  such  a  one  sitting  by  a 
little  fire  left  him  by  his  tribe,  with  perhaps  a  buf 
falo  skin  stretched  on  poles  over  his  head,  and  a 
little  water  and  a  few  bones  within  his  reach.  I 
have  put  my  pipe  to  his  mouth,  given  him  pemi- 
can,  and  gathered  sticks,  that  he  might  be  able  to 
recruit  his  fire ;  and  when,  months  after,  I  have 
returned  to  the  spot,  there  has  been  nothing  left 
of  him  but  his  skeleton,  picked  clean  by  the 
wolves  and  bleaching  in  the  winds. 

Jlustin.  This  is  one  of  the  worst  things  we  h?.ve 
heard  of  the  Indians. 

Basil.  Oh,  it  is  very  sad  indeed  ! 

Hunter.  You  would  not  forsake  your  father,  in 
old  age,  in  that  manner,  would  you  ? 

Jlustin.  No  !  As  long  as  we  could  get  a  bit  of 
bread  or  a  drop  of  water,  he  should  have  part  of 
it,  and  we  would  die  with  him  rather  than  desert 
him. 

Brian  and  Basil.  Yes  ;  that  we  would  ! 

Hunter.  I  hope  so.  This  is,  I  say,  a  cruel  cus 
tom  ;  but  it  forms  a  part  of  Indian  manners,  so 
that  the  old  men  expect  it,  and,  indeed,  would 
not  alter  it.  Indians  have  not  been  taught,  as  we 
have,  to  honour  their  parents,  at  least  not  in  the 
same  way ;  but  I  can  say  nothing  in  favour  of  so 
cruel  and  unnatural  a  custom.  Among  the  Sioux 
of  the  Mississippi,  it  is  considered  great  medicine 
to  jump  on  the  Leaping  Rock,  and  back  again. 
This  rock  is  a  huge  column  or  block,  between 


120  THE  INDIANS  OF 

thirty  and  forty  feet  high,  divided  from  the  side 
of  the  Red  Pipe-stone  Quarry.  It  is  about  seven 
feet  broad,  and  at  a  distance  from  the  main  rock 
-of  about  six  or  eight  feet.  Many  are  bold  enough 
to  take  the  leap,  and  to  leave  their  arrows  stick 
ing  in  one  of  its  crevices ;  while  others,  equally 
courageous,  have  fallen  from  the  top  in  making 
the  attempt,  and  been  dashed  to  pieces, 

Brian.  Wh'en  you  go  to  Pipe-stone  Quarry, 
Austin,  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  Leaping 
Rock.  You  must  get  your  medicine  in  some 
other  way. 

Muslin.  I  shall  leave  the  Leaping  Rock  to  the 
leaping  Indians,  for  it  will  never  suit  me. 

Hunter.  There  is  a  very  small  fish  caught  in 
the  river  Thames,  called  white  bait,  which  is 
considered  a  very  great  luxury ;  but,  to  my  taste, 
the  white  fish,  of  which  the  Chippewas  take  great 
abundance  in  the  rapids  near  the  Falls  of  St. 
Mary's,  are  preferable.  The  Chippewas  catch 
them  in  the  rapids  with  scoop-nets,  in  the  use  of 
which  they  are  very  expert.  The  white  fish 
resemble  salmon,  but  are  much  less  in  size. 

Austin.  The  white  fish  of  the  Chippewas  will 
suit  me  better  than  the  Leaping  Rock  of  the 
Sioux. 

Hunter.  Anijng  th«*.  Indians,  feasting,  fasting, 
and  sacrifices  of  a  peculiar  kind,  form  a  part  of 
their  religious  or  superstitious  observances.  Some 
of  the  Pawnees,  in  former  times,  offered  human 
sacrifices ;  but  this  cruel  custom  is  now  no  more. 
The  Mandans  frequently  offered  a  finger  to  the 
god,  or  Evil  Spirit ;  and  most  of  the  tribes  offer  a 


NORTH    AMERICA. 


horse,  a  dog,  a  spear,  or  an  arrow,  as  the  case 
may  be.  Over  the  Mandan  mystery  lodge  use 
to  hang  the  skin  of  a  white  buffalo,  with  blue  and 
black  cloth  of  great  value.  These  were  intended 
as  a  sacrifice  or  an  offering  to  the  good  and  evil 
spirits,  to  avert  their  anger  and  to  gain  their 
favour. 

Brian.  How  many  things  you  do  remember! 
Hunter.  All  the  chiefs  of  the  tribes  keep  run 
ners  :  men  swift  of  foot,  who  carry  messages  and 
commands,  and  spread  among  the  people  news 
necessary  to  be  communicated.     These  runners 
'  sometimes  go  great  distances  in  a  very  short  space 
of  time. 

Brian.  You  must  have  your  runners,  Austin. 
Austin.  Oh  yes,  I  will  have  my  runners  :  for 
I  shall  want  pipe-stone  from  Red  Pipe-stone 
Quarry,  and  white  fish  from  the  Chippewas  ;  and 
then  I  shall  send  messages  to  the  Cherokees  and 
Choctaws,  the  Camanchees,  the  Blackfeet  and 
the  Crows. 

Hunter.  The  squaws,  or  wives  of  the  Indians, 
labour  very  contentedly,  seeming  to  look  on  servi 
tude  as  their  proper  calling.  They  get  in  wood 
and  water;  they  prepare  the  ground  for  gram, 
cook  victuals,  make  the  dresses  of  their  husbands, 
manufacture  pottery,  dress  skins,  attend  to  the 
children,  and  make  themselves  useful  in  a  hundred 
other  ways, 

Brian.  I  think  the  squaws  behave  themselves 
very  well. 

Hunter.  The  sraoKing  of  the  pipe  takes  place 


122  THE    INDIANS    OF 

on  all  great  occasions,  just  as  though  the  Indians 
thought  it  was  particularly  grateful  to  the  Good 
and  Evil  Spirits.  In  going  to  war,  or  in  cele 
brating  peace,  as  well  as  on  all  solemn  occasions, 
the  pipe  is  smoked.  Oftentimes,  before  it  is 
passed  round,  the  stem  is  pointed  upwards,  and 
then  offered  to  the  four  points — east,  west,  north 
and  south.  In  the  hands  of  a  mystery  man,  it  is 
great  and  powerful  medicine.  If  ever  you  go 
among  the  red  men,  you  must  learn  to  smoke  ; 
for  to  refuse  to  draw  a  whiff  through  the  friendly 
pipe  offered  to  you,  would  be  regarded  as  a  sad 
affront. 

Basil.  What  will  you  do  now,  Austin  ?  You 
never  smoked  a  pipe  in  your  life. 

Austin.  Oh,  I  should  soon  learn ;  besides,  I 
need  only  take  a  very  little  whiff'. 

Hunter.  You  must  learn  to  eat  dog's  flesh, 
too  ;  for  when  the  Indians  mean  to  confer  a  great 
honour  on  a  chief  or  a  stranger,  they  give  him  a 
dog  feast,  in  which  they  set  before  him  their  most 
favourite  dogs,  killed  and  cooked.  The  more  use 
ful  the  dogs  were,  and  the  more  highly  valued, 
the  greater  is  the  compliment  to  him  in  whose 
honour  the  feast  is  given ;  and  if  he  were  to  re 
fuse  to  eat  of  the  dog's  flesh,  thus  prepared  out 
of  particular  respect  to  him,  no  greater  offence 
could  be  offered  to  his  hospitable  entertainers. 

Brian.  You  have  something  a  little  harder  to 
do  now?  I  think,  Austin  ;  to  learn  to  eat  dog's 
flesh. 

Austin.  You  may  depend  upon  it,  that  I  shall 
keep  out  of  the  way  of  a  dog  feast.  I  might  take 


NOR7H   AMERICA.  123 

a  little  whiff  at  their  pipe,  but  I  could  not  touch 
their  dainty  dogs. 

Hunter.  In  some  of  the  large  lodges,  I  have 
seen  very  impressive  common  life-scenes.  Fancy 
to  yourselves  a  large  round  lodge,  holding  ten  or 
a  dozen  beds  of  buffalo  skins,  with  a  high  post 
between  every  bed.  On  these  posts  hang  the 
shields,  the  war-clubs,  the  spears,  the  bows  and 
quivers,  the  eagle-plumed  head-dresses,  and  the 
medicine  bags  of  the  different  Indians  who  sleep 
there;  and  on  the  top  of  each  post  the  buffalo 
mask,  with  its  horns  and  tail,  used  in  the  buffalo 
dance.  Fancy  to  yourselves  a  group  of  Indians  in 
the  middle  of  the  lodge,  with  their  wives  and  their 
little  ones  around  them,  smoking  their  pipes  and 
relating  their  adventures,  as  happy  as  ease  and  the 
supply  of  all  their  animal  wants  can  make  them. 
While  you  gaze  on  the  scene,  so  strange,  so  wild, 
so  picturesque  and  so  happy,  an  emotion  of  friendly 
feeling  for  the  red  man  thrills  your  bospm,  a  tear 
of  pleasure  starts  into  your  eye ;  and,  before  you 
are  aware,  an  ejaculation  of  thankfulness  has 
escaped  your  lips,  to  the  Father  of  mercies,  that, 
in  his  goodness  and  bounty  to  mankind,  he  has 
not  forgotten  the  inhabitants  of  the  forest  and  the 
prairie. 

The  Indians  have  a  method  of  hardening  their 
shields,  by  smoking  them  over  a  fire,  in  a  hole  in 
the  ground  ;  and,  usually,  when  a  warrior  thus 
smokes  his  shield,  he  gives  a  feast  to  his  friends. 
Some  of  the  pipes  of  the  Indians  are  beautiful, 
The  bowls  are  all  of  the  red  stone  from  Pipe- 
stone  Quarry,  cut  into  all  manner  of  fantastic 


124  THE    INDIANS    OF 

forms ;  while  (he  stems,  three  or  four  feet  long,  are 
ornamented  with  braids  of  porcupine's  quills, 
beaks  of  birds,  feathers  and  red  hair.  The  calu 
met,  or,  as  it  is  called,  "  the  peace-pipe,"  is  in 
deed,  as  I  have  before  said,  great  medicine.  It 
is  highly  adorned  with  quills  of  the  war-eagle, 
and -never  used  on  any  other  occasion  than  that  of 
making  and  solemnizing  peace,  when  It  is  passed 
round  to  the  chiefs.  It  is  regarded  as  altogether 
a  sacred  utensil.  An  Indian's  pipe  is  his  friend 
through  the  pains  and  pleasures  of  life  ;  and  when 
his  tomahawk  and  his  medicine  bag  are  placed 
beside  his  poor,  pallid  remains,  his  pipe  is  not 
forgotten. 

Austin.  When  an  Indian  dies,  how  do  they 
bury  him  ? 

Hunter.  According  to  the  custom  of  his  tribe. 
Some  Indians  are  buried  under  the  sod  ;  some  are 
left  in  cots,  or  cradles,  on  the  water ;  and  others 
are  placed  on  frames  raised  to  support  them. 
You  remember  that  I  told  you  of  Blackbird's 
grave. 

Austin.  Ay !  he  was  buried  on  horseback,  on 
the  top  of  a  high  bluff,  sitting  on  his  horse.  He 
was  covered  all  over  with  sods. 

Hunter.  And  I  told  you  of  the  Chinook  chil 
dren  floating  on  the  solitary  pool. 

Bosil.     Yes,  I  remember  them  very  \vc\l. 

Hunter.  Grown-up  Chinocks  are  left  floating 
in  cradles,  just  in  the  same  manner  ;  though  oftener 
they  are  tied  up  in  skins,  and  laid  in  canoes,  with 
paddles,  pipes  and  provisions,  and  then  hoisted 
up  into  a  tree,  and  left  th  ere  to  decay.  In  the 


NORTH    AMERICA.  "  125 

Mandan  burial  place,  the  dead  were  ranged  in 
rows,  on  high  slender  frames,  out  of  the  way  of 
the  wolf,  dressed  in  their  best  robes,  and  wrapped 
in  a  fresh  buffalo  skin,  with  all  their  arras,  pipes, 
arid  every  necessary  provision  and  comfort  to  sup 
ply  their  wants  in  their  journey  to  the  hunting- 
grounds  of  their  fathers.  In  our  burial  grounds, 
there  are  generally  some  monuments  grander  than 
the  rest,  to  set  forth  the  wealth,  the  station,  or  the 
talent's  of  those  who  slumber  below  ;  and,  as  hu 
man  nature  is  the  same  everywhere,  so  in  the  rest 
ing  place  of  the  Indians.  Here  and  there  are 
spread  out  a  few  yards  of  red  or  blue  cloth,  to  sig 
nify  that  beneath  it  a  chief,  or  a  superior  brave,  is 
sleeping.  The  Mandan  dead  occupied  a  spot  on 
the  prairie.  Here  they  mouldered,  warrior  lying 
by  the  side  of  warrior,  till  they  fell  to  the  ground 
from  their  frames,  when  the  bones  were  buried, 
and  the  skulls  ranged  with  great  care,  in  round 
rings,  on  the  prairie,  with  two  buffalo  skulls  and 
a  medicine  pole  in  the  centre. 

Austin.  Ay !  it  would  be  of  no  use  for  the 
wolf  to  come  then,  for  there  would  be  nothing  for 
him.  I  should  very  much  like  to  see  an  Indian 
burying-place. 

Hunter.  Were  you  to  visit  one,  you  would  see 
that  the  heart  and  affections  are  at  work  under  a 
red  skin,  as  well  as  under  a  white  one  ;  for  parents 
and  children,  husbands  and  wives,  go  there  to  la 
ment  for  those  who  are  dear  to  them,  and  to  hum 
ble  themselves  before  the  Great  Spirit,  under 
whose  care  they  believe  their  departed  relatives 
to  be.  The  skulls,  too  are  visited,  and  every 


128  '  THE    INDIANS,    OF 

one  is  placed  carefully,  from  time  to  time,  on  a 
tuft  of  sweet-smelling  herb  or  plant.  Life  is  but 
a  short  season  with  both  the  white  and  the  red 
man,  and  ought  to  be  well  spent.  It  is  as  a  flower 
that  flourishes:  "For  the  wind  passeth  over  it, 
and  it  is  gone ;  and  the  place  thereof  shall  know 
it  no  more."  But  I  have  now  told  you  enough 
for  the  present.  Come  again,  as  soon  as  you  will ; 
I  shall  have  some  anecdotes  of  Indians  ready  for 
you. 


VWPa 

Indian  Cradle. 


NORTH   AMERICA. 


127 


CHAPTER  IX. 

WITH  willing  feet,  sparkling  eyes  and  happy 
hearts,  Austin  and  his  two  brothers  again  set  oft' 
for  the  cottage  near  the  wood.  On  an  ordinary 
occasion,  they  might  have  found  time  for  a  little 
pleasant  loitering  ;  but  the  Indian  anecdotes  they 
expected  to  hear  excited  their  curiosity  too  much 
to  allow  a  single  minute  to  be  lost.  A  pin  might 
have  been  heard  falling  on  the  ground,  when, 
seated  in  the  cottage,  they  listened  to  the  follow 
ing  anecdotes  of  the  hunter. 

Hunter.  It  has  pleased  God  to  endue  Indians 
with  quick  perceptions.  They  are  amazingly 
quick  in  tracing  an  enemy,  both  in  the  woods  and 
the  prairie.  A  broken  twig  or  leaf,  or  the  faintest 
impression  on  the  grass,  is  sufficient  to  attract  their 


128 


THE    INDIANS    OF 


attention.  The  anecdotes  I  am  about  to  relate  are 
believed  to  be  true,  but  I  cannot  myself  vouch 
for  their  correctness,  having  only  read  them,  or 
heard  them  related  by  others. 

An  Indian,  upon  his  return  home  to'  his  hut 
one  day,  discovered  that  his  venison,  which  had 
been  hung  up  to  dry,  had  been  stolen.  After  go 
ing  some  distance,  he  met  some  persons,  of  whom 
he  inquired  if  they  had  seen  a  little,  old,  white 
man,  with  a  short  gun,  and  accompanied  by  a  small 
dog  with  a  bob-tail.  They  replied  in  the  affirma 
tive  ;  and,  upon  the  Indian's  assuring  them  that 
the  man  thus  described  had  stolen  his  venison, 
they_  desired  to  be  informed  how  he  was  able 
to  give  such  a  minute  description  of  a  person 
whom  he  had  not  seen.  The  Indian  answered 
thus  :— 

"  The  thief  I  know  is  a  little  man,  by  his  hav 
ing  made  a  pile  of  stones  in  order  to  reach  the 
venison,  from  the  height  I  hung  it  standing  on  the 
ground ;  that  he  is  an  old  man,  I  know  by  his 
short  steps,  which  ]»  have  traced  over  the  dead 
leaves  in  the  woods  ;  that  he  is  a  white  man,  I 
know  by  his  turning  out  his  toes  when  he  walks, 
which  an  Indian  never  does  ;  his  gun  I  know  to 
be  short,  by  the  mark  which  the  muzzle  made  by 
rubbing  the  bark  of  the  tree  on  which  it  leaned ; 
that  the  dog  is  small,  I  know  by  his  tracks  ;  and 
that  he  has  a  bob-tail,  I  discovered  by  the  mark 
of  it  in  the  dust  where  he  was  sitting  at  the  time 
his  master  was  taking  down  the  meat." 
,  Brian.  Well  done,  Indian!  Why,  nothing 
could  escape  a  man  like  that. 


NORTH   AMERICA.  129 

Austin.  An  Englishman  would  hardly  have 
been  able  to  describe  the  thief  without  seeing 
him. 

Hunter.  You  shall  have  another  instance  of  thf 
quick  perceptions  of  the  red  men.  A  most  atro 
cious  and  shocking  murder  was  once  committed, 
by  a  party  of  Indians,  on  fourteen  white  settlers, 
within  five  miles  of  Shamokin.  The  surviving 
whites,  in  their  rage,  determined  to  take  their  re 
venge  by  murdering  a  Delaware  Indian,  who  hap 
pened  to  be  in  those  parts,  and  who  was  far  from 
thinking  himself  in  any  danger.  He  was  a  great 
friend  to  the  whites,  was  loved  and  esteemed  by 
them,  and,  in  testimony  of  their  regard,  had  re 
ceived  from  them  the  name  of  Duke  Holland,  by 
which  he  was  generally  known. 

This  Indian,  satisfied  that  his  nation  were  in 
capable  of  committing  such  a  foul  murder  in  a 
time  of  profound  peace,  told  the  enraged  settlers 
that  he  was  sure  the  Delawares  were  not  in  any 
manner  concerned  in  it,  and  that  it  was  the  act 
of  some  wicked  Mingoes  or  Iroquois,  whose  cus 
tom  it  was  to  involve  other  nations  in  wars  with 
each  other,  by  secretly  committing  murders,  so 
that  they  might  appear  to  be  the  work  of  others. 
But  all  his  representations  were  vain ;  he  could 
not  convince  exasperated  men,  whose  minds  were 
fully  bent  on  revenge. 

At  last,  he  offered  that,  if  they  would  give  him 
a  party  to  accompany  him,  he  would  go  with 
them  in  quest  of  the  murderers,  and  was  sure  that 
he  could  discover  them  by  the  prints  of  their  feet, 
and  other  marks  well  known  to  him,  by  which  he 
5 


1 30       '  THE    INDIANS    OF 

would  convince  them  that  the  real  perpetrators  of 
the  crime  belonged  to  the  Six  Nations. 

His  proposal  was  accepted.  He  marched  at 
the  head  of  a  party  of  whites  and  led  them  into  the 
tracks.  They  soon  found  themselves  in  the  most 
rocky  part  of  a  mountain,  where  not  one  of  those 
who  accompanied  him  could  discover  a  single 
track,  nor  would  they  believe  that  men  had  ever 
trodden  on  this  ground,  as  they  had  to  jump  from 
rock  to  rock,  or  to  crawl  over  them.  They  began 
to  believe  that  the  Indian  had  led  them  across 
these  rugged  mountains  in  order  to  give  the  enemy 
time  to  escape.  They  threatened  him  with  instant 
death  the  moment  they  should  be  convinced  of 
the  fraud. 

The  Indian,  true  to  his  promise,  took  pains  to 
make  them  perceive  that  an  enemy  had  passed 
along  the  places  through  which  he  was  leading 
them.  Here,  he  showed  them  that  the  moss  on 
the  road  had  been  trodden  down  by  the  weight 
of  a  human  foot ;  there,  that  it  had  been  torn  and 
dragged  forward  from  its  place.  Again,  he  would 
point  out  to  them,  that  pebbles,  or  small  stones 
on  the  rocks,  had  been  removed  from  their  beds 
by  the  foot  hitting  against  them  ;  that  dry  sticks, 
by  being  trodden  upon,  were  broken;  and,  in 
one  particular  place,  that  an  Indian's  blanket  had 
been  dragged  over  the  rocks,  and  had  removed 
or  loosened,  the  leaves  lying  there,  so  that  they 
did  not  lie  flat,  as  in  other  places.  All  these 
marks  the  Indian  could  perceive  as  he  walked 
along,  without  even  stopping. 

At  last,  arriving  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  en 


NORTH    AMERICA,  131 

soft  ground,  where  the  tracks  wore  deep,  he  found 
that  the  enemy  were  eight  in  number;  and,  from 
the  freshness  of  the  foot-prints,  he  concluded  that 
they  must  be  encamped  at  no  great  distance. 

This  proved  to  be  the  exact  truth  ;  for,  after 
gaining  the  eminence  on  the  other  side  of  the'  val 
ley,  the  Indians  were  seen  encamped :  some 
having  already  laid  down  to  sleep,  while  others 
were  drawing  off  their  leggings,  or  Indian  stock 
ings,  for  the  same  purpose,  and  the  scalps  they 
had  taken  were  hanging  up  to  dry. 

"  See,"  said  Duke  Holland  to  his  astonished 
companions,  "  there  is  the  enemy;  not  people  of 
my  nation,  but  Mingoes,  as  I  truly  told  you.  They 
are  in  our  power.  In  less  than  half  an  hour  they 
will  be  all  fast  asleep.  We  need  not  fire  a  gun, 
but  go  up  and  tomahawk  them,  We  are  nearly 
two  to  one,  and  need  apprehend  no  danger. 
Come  on,  and  you  will  now  have  your  full  re 
venge." 

But  the  whites,  overcome  with  fear,  did  not 
choose  to  follow  the  Indian's  advice,  but  desired 
him  to  take  them  back  by  the  nearest  and  Lest 
way.  This  he  did ;  and  when  they  arrived  at 
home,  they  reported  the  enemy  to  have~been  so 
great  that  they  durst  not  venture  to  attack  them. 

Austin.  This  instance  is  quite  as  wonderful  as 
the  other. 

Brian.  I  would  not  have  an  Indian  after  me  if- 
I  had  done  wrong  ;  fcr  he  would  be  sure  to  find 
me  out. 

Hunter.    Red   men  often    act   very   co-nscien- 
v  tiously.     One  day,  an  Indian  solicited  a  little  to- 


132  THE   INDIANS    OF 

bacco  of  a  white  man,  lo  fill  his  pipe.  Having 
some  loose  in  his  pocket,  the  white  man  gave  him 
a  handful.  The  next  day  the  Indian  returned  in 
search  of  the  man  who  h#d  given  him  the  tobacco. 

"  I  wish  to  see  him,"  said  the  Indian. 

"  Why  so  ?"  inquired  some  one. 

"  Why,  I  find  money  with  the  tobacco." 

"  Well !  what  of  that?  Keep  it ;  it  was  given 
to  you." 

"  Ah  !"  said  the  Indian,  shaking  his  head,  "I 
got  good  man  and  bad  man  here,"  pointing  to  his 
breast.  "  Good  man  say,  i  Money  not  yours  ;  you 
must  return  it :'  bad  man  say,  i  'Tis  yours  ;  it  was 
given  to  you.'  Good  man  say,  «  That  not  right : 
tobacco  yours,  money  not  yours.'  Bad  man  say, 
'Never  mind,  nobody  know  it;  go  buy  rum.' 
Good  man  say,  -  Oh  no;  no  such  thing.'  So 
poor  Indian  know  not  what  to  do.  Me  lie  down 
to  sleep,  but  no  sleep  ;  good  man  and  bad  man 
talk  all  night,  and  trouble  me.  So  now,  me 
bring  money  back:  now,  me  feel  good." 

Basil.  I  like  that  Indian  very  much. 

Brian.  No  one  could  have  acted  more  honestly. 

Hunter.  Whatever  the  Indians  may  be,  when 
oppressed,  wronged  and  deceived  by  the  whites  : 
and  however  they  may  act  towards  their  enemies  ; 
they  are  usually  honest  towards  their  own  tribe. 
While  I  was  residing  on  the  Big  Beaver,  says 
one  who  lived  much  among  them,  I  passed  by 
the  door  of  an  Indian  who  was  a  trader,  and  had, 
consequently,  a  quantity  of  goods  in  his  house. 
He  was  going  with  his  wife  to  Pittsburg,  and 
they  were  shutting  up  the  house  ;  as  no  person 


NORTH   JMERICA. 


133 


remained  in  it  during  their  absence.  This  shut 
ting  up  was  nothing  else  than  putting  a  large 
block,  with  a  few  sticks  of  wood,  outside  against 
the  door,  so  as  to  keep  it  closed.  As  I  was  look 
ing  at  this  man  with  attention,  while  he  was  so 
employed,  he  addressed  me  in  these  words: — 

"  See,  my  friend,  this  is  an  Indian  lock  that  I 
am  putting  to  my  door." 

I  answered,  "  Well  enough ;  but  I  see  you. 
leave  much  property  in  the  house :  are  you  not 
afraid  that  those  articles  will  be  stolen  while  ycfu 
are  gone  ?" 

"  Stolen!  by  whom?" 

"  Why,  by  Indians,  to  be  sure." 

"  No,  no,"  replied  he,  "  no  Indian  would  do 
such  a  thing.  Unless  a  white  man,  or  white  peo 
ple,  should  happen  to  come  this  way,  I  shall  find 
all  safe  on  my  return." 

Basil.  If  we  were  to  leave  our  doors  in  that 
way,  our  houses  would  be  sure  to  be  robbed. 

•  Hunter.  No  doubt  they  would;  but  Indians 
have  good  and  bad  qualities.  The  notion  enter 
tained  by  the  Iroquois  Indians,  respecting  the 
creation  of  mankind,  will  show  how  ignorant  they 
are  with  respect  to  the  Creator  of  all  things ;  but, 
indeed,  if  the  blessed  book  of  truth  were  not  in 
our  hands,  we  should  be  equally  ignorant  our 
selves.  Before  man  existed,  say  they,  there  were 
three  great  and  good  spirits ;  of  whom  one  was 
superior  to  the  other  two,  and  is  emphatically 
called  the  Great  Spirit  and  the  Good  Spirit.  At 
a  certain  time,  this  exalted  being  said  to  one  of 
the  others,  "Make  a  man."  He  obeyed;  and, 


134  THE    INDIANS    OF 

taking  chalk,  formed  a  paste  rf  it,  and  moulding 
it  into  the  human  form,  infused  into  it  the  ani 
mating  principle,  and  brought  it  to  the  Great 
Spirit.  He,  after  surveying  it,  said,  "  This  is  too 
white." 

He  then  directed  the  other  to  make  a  trial  of 
his  skill.  Accordingly,  taking  charcoal,  he  pur 
sued  the  same  process,  and  brought  the  result  to 
the  Great  Spirit;  who,  after  .surveying  it,  said, 
"  It  is  too  black." 

Then  said  the  Great  Spirit,  "  I  will  now  try 
myself;"  and  taking  red  earth,  he  formed  an  In 
dian.  On  surveying  it,  he  said,  "  This  is  a  pro 
per  or  perfect  man." 

After  relating  the  strange  opinion  of  the  Iroquois 
Indians,  the  hunter  advised  the  young  people,  on 
their  return  home,  to  look  over  the  account  of  the 
creation  of  the  world  and  mankind,  in  the  first 
chapter  of  Genesis ;  telling  them  that  they  could 
not  be  too  thankful  for  the  opportunity  of  reading 
God's  word,  which  was  not  only  sufficient  to 
keep  them  from  error  in  such  things,  but  was  able 
also  to  make  them  "  wise  unto  salvation  through 
faith  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus."  He  told  them, 
that  though  the  Indians  were  ignorant  of  holy 
things,  they  did  not  want  shrewdness  and  sagacity. 
"When  General  Lincoln,"  said  he,  "went  to 
make  peace  with  the  Creek  Indians,  one  of  the 
chiefs  asked  him  to  sit  down  on  a  log ;  he  was 
then  desired  to  move,  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  to 
move  still  farther.  The  request  was  repeated, 
until  the  general  got  to  the  end  of  the  log.  The 
Indian  still  said,  'Move  farther;'  to  which  the 


NORTH   AMERICA.  135 

general  replied,  £I  can  move  no  farther.'  c  Just 
so  it  is  with  us,'  said  the  chief.  <  You  have 
moved  us  back  to. the  water,  and  then  ask  us  to 
move  farther!' ' 

In  the  account  of  his  expedition  to  the  foot  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains.,  in  1821,  Major  Long  re 
lates  the  following  anecdote  of  a  Pawnee  brave, 
son  of  Red  Knife,  who,  in  the  succeeding  winter, 
visited  the  city  of  Washington,  during  the  session 
of  Congress. 

This  brave,  of  fine  size,  figure  and  counte 
nance,  is  now  about  twenty-five  years  old.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-one,  his  heroic  deeds  had  ac 
quired  for  him  in'his  nation  the  rank  of  the  bravest 
of  the  braves.  The  savage  practice  of  torturing 
and  burning  to  death  their  prisoners  existed  in 
this  nation.  An  unfortunate  female,  of  the  Paduca 
nation,  taken  in  war,  was  destined  to  this  horrid 
death. 

The  fatal  hour  had  arrived.     The  trembling 
•  victim,  far  from  her  home  and  her  friends,  was 
fastened  to  the  stake.     The  whole  tribe  were  as 
sembled  on  the  surrounding  plains  to  witness  the 
awful  scene. 

Just  as  the  funeral  pile  was  to  be  kindled,  and 
the  whole  multitude  of  spectators  were  on  the 
tiptoe  of  expectation,  this  young  warrior,  having, 
unnoticed,  predated  two  fleet  horses,  with  the  ne 
cessary  provisions,  sprang  from  his  seat,  rushed 
through  the'  crowd,  liberated  the  victim,  seized 
her  in  his  arms,  placed  her  on  one  of  the  horses, 
mounted  the  other  himself,  and  made  the  utmost 
speed  towards  the  nation  and  friends  of  the  captive. 


136  THE   INDIANS    OF 

The  multitude,  dumb  and  nerveless  with  amaze 
ment  at  the  daring  deed,  made  no  effort  to  rescue 
their  victim  from  her  deliverer.  They  viewed 
it  as  the  immediate  act  of  the  Great  Spirit,  sub 
mitted  to  it  without  a  murmur,  and  quietly  re 
tired  to  their  village. 

The  released  captive  was  accompanied  three 
days  through  the  wilderness,  towards  her  home. 
Her  deliverer  then  gave  her  the  horse  on  which 
she  rode,  and  the  necessary  provisions  for  the 
remainder  of  the  journey,  and  they  parted. 

On  his  return  to  the  village,  such  wras  his  po 
pularity,  that  no  inquiry  was  made  into  his  con 
duct,  and  no  censure  was  passed  upon  it.  Since 
this  transaction  no  human  sacrifice  has  been 
offered  in  this  or  any  other  of  the  Pawnee  tribes ; 
the  practice  is  abandoned.  How  influential  is  one 
bold  act  in  a  good  cause !  This  deed  illustrates 
a  grand  principle,  boys.  It  is  by  such  men  that 
great  reformations  are  made  in  the  world,  and 
yet  there  is  no  mystery  in  it.  Every  one  is  capa 
ble  of  doing  that  which  he  knows  to  be  right,  re 
gardless  of  the  opinions  of  wicked  men,  or  the 
habits  of  the  weak  and  foolish,  who  follow  customs 
which  have  no  apology  but  that  others  have  done 
so  before. 

The  publication  of  this  anecdote  at  Washing 
ton  led  some  young  ladies,  in  £  manner  highly 
creditable  to  their  good  sense  and  good  feeling,  to 
present  this  brave  and  humane  Indian  with  a 
handsome  silver  medal,  with  appropriate  in 
scriptions,  as  a  token  of  their  sincere  commenda 
tion  of  the  noble  act  of  rescuing  one  of  their  se^3 


NORTH   AMERICA.  137 

an  innocent  victim,  from  a  cruel  death.  Their 
address,  delivered  on  this  occasion,  is  sensible 
and  appropriate,  closing  as  follows : 

"Brother — Accept  this  token  of  our t esteem; 
always  wear  it  for  our  sakes  ;  and  when  again  you 
li?.ve  the  power  to  save  a  poor  woman  from  death 
raid  torture,  think  of  this,  and  of  us,  and  fly  to  her 
relief  and  rescue." 

To  this  the  Pawnee  made  the  following  reply : — 

^  Brothers  and  sisters — This  medal  will  give  me 
ease  more  than  I  ever  had  ;  and  I  will  listen  more 
than  I  ever  did  to  white  men. 

"  I  am  glad  that  my  brothers  and  sisters  have 
heard  of  the  good  deed  that  I  have  done.  My 
brothers  and  sisters  think  that  I  have  done  it  in 
ignorance,  but  I  now  know  what  I  have  done. 

"  I  did  do  it  in  ignorance,  and  I  did  not  know 
that  I  did  good  ;  but  by  your  giving  me  this  medal 
I  know  it." 

The  cruelty  of  torturing  and  burning  a  captive, 
the  great  danger  of  the  female  Indian,  and  the 
noble  daring  of  the  Pawnee  brave,  formed  the 
subject  of  conversation  for  some  time  among  the 
young  people ;  and  Austin  was  unbounded  in  his 
approbation  of  the  Pawnee.  Willingly  would  he 
have  contributed  towards  another  silver  medal  for 
him,  and  Brian  and  Basil  would  not  have  been 
backward  in  doing  their  part ;  but  the  affair  ap 
peared  hardly  practicable,  inasmuch  as  a  reason 
able  doubt  existed  whether  the  Pawnee  brave 
\vas  s-till  alive  ;  said,  even  if  he  were,  there  seemed 
to  be  no  direct  way  of  communicating  with  him 


138 


THE    INDIANS 


CHAPTER  X. 

"REMEMBER,"  said  Austin,  as  he  urged  his 
brothers  to  quicken  their  pace  on  their  way  to  the 
gottage,  awe  have  hardly  heard  any  thing  yet 
about  buffaloes  and  grizzly  bears,  and  other  ani 
mals  which  are  found  in  the  woods  and  the 
prairie.  Let  us  make  haste,  that  we  may  have  a 
long  visit." 

Brian  and  Basil,  being  almost  as  anxious  as 
their  brother  to  hear  all  about  bears  and  buffaloes, 
quickened  their  pace  as  he  desired  them,  so  that 
no  long  period  had  passed,  before  the.  hunter,  at 
the  request  of  his  youthful  visitors,  was  engaged 
in  giving  them  the  desired  account. 

"The  different  animals  and  birds,"  said  he, 
"  that  inhabit  different  countries,  for  the  most  part, 


NORTH    AMERICA.  139 

roam  backwards  and  forwards,  according  to  the 
season.  Creatures  that  love  the  cold  move  north 
erly  in  summer,  and  such  as  delight  in  a  warmer 
clime  move  southerly  in  winter.  It  is,  however, 
principally  to  obtain  food  that  they  remove  from 
one  place  to  another.  I  must  here  explain  to  you, 
that  though  I  have,  in  common  with  most  others 
who  use  these  terms,  spoken  of  buffaloes,  the 
animal  which  abounds  in  the  prairie  is  not  pro 
perly  the  buffalo,  but  the  bison." 

Austin.  But  if  they  are  bisons,  why  are  they 
called  buffaloes  ? 

Hunter.  That  is  a  question  that  I  hardly  know 
how  to  answer.  From  whatever  cause  it  may 
have  arisen,  certain  it  is,  that  the  name  of  buffalo 
has  become  common ;  and,  that  being  the  case, 
it  is  used  in  conversation,  and  oftentimes  in  books, 
as  being  more  easily  understood. 

Brian.  What  is  the  difference  between  a  buf 
falo  and  a  bison  ? 

Hunter.     A  buffalo  is  an  animal  that  abour 
in  Africa,  resembling  an  ugly  cow,  with  a  bcdy 
long,  but  rather  low  ;  and  very  long  horns, 
the  bison  stands  very  high  in  front,  has  a  hump 
on  the  back  part  of  the  neck  covered  with  long 
hair,  short  horns,  and  a  profusion  of  long  shaggy 
hair  hanging  from  its  head,  neck  and  fore-legs. 

Austin.  Then  a  bison  must  look  much  fiercer 
than  a  buffalo. 

Hunter.  He  does  ;  and  from  the  circumstance 
of  his  fore-parts  standing  high,  while  ^  he  carries 
his  head  low,  he  always  appears  as  if  he  were 
about  to  run  at  you  Bisons  abound  throughotff 


THE    INDIANS    OF 


the  whole   of  our  country,  west  of  the  Missis 
sippi  ;    bu  ;  the  reckless  way  in  which  they  are 
slaughtered  and  the  spread  of  civilization,  are 
likely,  m  a  few  years,  greatly  to  decrease  their 
numbers.     Indians  suffer  much  from  hunger,  but 
they  are  very  reckless  when  buffaloes  are  plenti- 
On  one  occasion,  when  among  the  Minata- 
rees,  I  witnessed  a  grand  capture  of  buffaloes.    It 
was  effected  by  different  parties  taking  different 
directions,  and  then  gradually  approaching  e^ch 
other.    The  herd  was  thus  hemmed  in  on  all  sides 
and  the   slaughter  was  terrible.     The    unerrino- 
rifle,  the  sharp  spear  and  the  winged  arrow,  had 
11  employ  ;    and  so  many  buffaloes  were  slain, 
that,  after  taking  their  tongues  and  other  choice 
parts  of  them  for  food,  hundreds  of  carcasses  were 
left  for  the  praine-  wolves  to  devour.     Thus  it  is 
that  man,  whether  savage  or  civilized,  too  often 
becomes  prodigal  of  the  abundance  he  enjoys  and 
knows  not  the  value  of  what  he  possesses,  till 
taught  by  that  want  into  which  his  thoughtless 
waste  has  plunged  him. 

Austin.     Ay,  they  will  soon  kill  all  the  buffa 
loes,  if  they  go  on  in  that  mariner. 

Hunter.  At  present,  they  are  to  be  seen  on  the 
prairie  m  droves  of  many  thousands  ;  the  woods 
also,  abound  with  them  ;  and  often,  in  the  heat  of 
summer,  an  incalculable  number  of  heads  and 
horns  are  visible  in  the  rivers,  the  bodies  -of  the 
bisons  being  under  the  water. 

Brian.     What,  because  they  are  so  hot  ? 
Hunter.    Yes:  the  bison  suffers  very  much  from 
»eat.     It  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  see  a  bison  bull 


WORTH   AMERICA. 


Jay  himself  down  in  a  puddle  of  water,  and  turn 
himself  round  and  round  in  it,  ill  he  has  ha 
covered  his  body  with  mud.     The  puddle 
She  thus  makes  is  called  a  bison  or  buffalo 
w    low.     The  puddle  cools  him  while  he  is  in 
ami  when  he  quits  it,  the  mud  plastered  on  his 
sides   defends    him   from   the   burning  heat   o, 

theBwa.     What  a  figure  a  bison  bull  must  cut 
with  his  shaggy  hair  and  his  sides  plastered  all 

^Hunter™  Bears  are  often  most  formidable  foes 
to  the  hunter;  but  there  is  this  striking  difference 
between  the  common  bear  and  the  grizzly  bear 
that  while  the  former  eats  mostly  vegetables  a 
will  do  his  best  to  get  out  of  your  way,  the  alter 
eats  nothing  but  flesh,  and  is  almost  sure  to  att 
you.     Hunters  and  Indians  make  U  a  rule,  never 
to  firs  at  a  grizzly  bear,  unless  in  self-defence 
except  in  cases  when  they  have  a  strong  party 
or  can  fire  from  a  tree  ;  for,  when  he  is  wounded, 
his  fury  knows  110  bounds.  . 

Austin.     How  can  you  escape  from  a  grizzly 
bear,  if  he  is  so  very  terrible  ? 

Hunter.  The  common  bear  can  climb  a  tree, 
as  I  have  already  told  you  ;  but  the  grizzly  bear 
is  no  climber.  If  you  have  time  to  get  up  imo  a 
tree,  you  are  safe  :  if  not,  you  must  reserve  you, 
shot  till  the  animal  is  near  you,  ftat  you  may  take 
a  steady  aim.  You  must  then  fight  it  out 
best  way  you  car.  Grizzly  bears  are  some-lines 
of  a  very  large  size,  measuring  from  nine  to  to 
feet  in  length!  It  was  on  the  Upper  Missouri  thai 


THE    INDIANS    OF 

I  was  once  chased  by  one  of  these  terrible  fellows 
and  a  narrow  escape  I  had. 

Austin.     How  was  it?     Tell  us  all  about  it 

f  had  just  fired  off  my  rifle  at  a  bi"d 
which  I  took  for  an  eagle,  little  thinking  how 
soon  my  wasted  bullet  (for  I  did  not  strike  the 
bird  would  be  wanted  in  defence  of  my  life      The 
crack  of  my  piece  reverberated  from  the 'green- 
topped  bluffs  that  rose  from  the  prairie ;  gand  I 
suppose  it  was  this  that  brought  Sir  Bruin  upon 
me.     He  came  on  with  huge  strides,  and  I  had 
nothing  but  a  hunting-knife  to  use  in  my  defence 
my  discharged  rifle  being  of  no  use.     There  was 
no  tree  near,  so  throwing  down  my  piece,  I  drew 
my  knife  as  a  forlorn  hope  in  my  extremity 
Jtostin.    A  hunting-knife  against  a  grizzly  bear  ! 
Wtov     When  the  huge  monster  was  within 
jams  01  me,  to  my  amazement,  I  heard  the 
report  of  two  rifles,  and  in  the  same'  instant  my 
tremendous  foe/ell,  with  two  bullets  in  his  head! 
timely  assistance  was  rendered  me  by  two  of 
our  party  who,  having  followed  my  track,  were 
near  me  when  I  thought  myself  alone. 

Jtoxtm      Never  was  any  one  in  greater  danger. 

Hunter.    I  will  tell  you  an  anecdote  that  I  have 

read  of  a   common   bear.     A  boy,  about  eiffht 

years  old    was  sent  by  his  mother  into  the  woods, 

bring  home  t.e  old  cow.     At  the  distance  of 

somewhat  more  than  half  a  mile,  he  found  her", 

attended  by  some  young  cattle.  He  began  to  drive 

them  home  ;  but  had  not  proceeded  far,  when  a 

>ear  came  out  of  the  bushes,  and  seemed  disport 

o  make  his  acquaintance. 


1   /I  O 

NORTH   AMERICA. 


"kind'  he  is  like!y  enous 


cattle  helped  her,  fo, 


The  hordes  or  bands  of  wild  horse 
in  some  of  the  prairies,  are  supposed 


thin-. 


s 

up  S  thlm,  except  by  surprise,  is  no  e^y 
I  have  seen  them  in  great  numbers  from 


14.4. 

THE    INDIANS    OF 


^^"^^'^.ra:* 

awSS^eSSHs 

S  Fr  V:""-' — .« 

^Sr^SSS 
SvMi "  "•'•  *•  ~bk  »i~|  i» 


They  are  much  more  commonly  taken 
(he  fo«o;  which  is  a  thong  at  least  a  doz 

loxhs  ina  n°T-  rhis  ^  M- 


NORTH    AMERICA.  145 


legs  ;  to  fasten  the  lasso  round  his  lower  jaw  ;  to 
breathe  in  his  nostrils,  and  to  lead  him  home. 

Jlustin.     Breathe  in  his  nostrils  !     Why,  what 
uoes  he  do  that  for  ? 

Hunter.     Because  experience  has  taught  him, 
that  it  does  much  towards  rendering  his  captive 
more  manageable.     It  is  said,  that  if  an  Indian, 
breathes  freely  into  the  nostrils  of  a  wild  young 
buffalo  on  the  prairie,  the  creature  will  follow  him 
with  all  the  gentleness  and  docility  of  a  lamb. 
Brian.     Well !  that  does  appear  strange  ! 
Hunter.  There  is  one  animal,  which  the  In 
dians,  the  hunters  and  trappers  sometimes  meet 
with,  that  I  have  not  mentioned.     It  is  the  cougar, 
or  panther,  or  American  lion  ;  for  it  goes  by  all 
these  names.     Now  and  then  it  is  to  be  seen  in 
the  thick  forests  of  the  west ;  but,  being  a  sad 
coward,  it  is  not  so  much  dreaded  as  it  otherwise 
wrould  be. 

Brian.  I  should  not  much  like  to  meet  a  cougar. 
Hunter.  The  common  wolf  of  America  is  as  big 
as  a  Newfoundland  dog,  and  a  sulky,  savage- 
looking  animal  he  is.  So  long  as  he  can  feed  in 
solitary  places  he  prefers  to  do  so,  but,  when 
hunger-pressed,  he  attacks  the  fold  ;  after  which, 
Mr.  Grizzly-skin  'loses  no  time  in  getting  to  a 
place  of  shelter,  for  he  knows  that  should  he 
outrun  the  stanch  hounds  that  .will  soon  be  on 
his  track,  yet  will  a  rifle  ball  outrun  him. 

Brian.  Yes,    yes;    Mr.    Grizzly-back   is   very 
cunning. 

Hunter.    The  prairie-wolf  is  smaller  than  tiu 
common  wolf.      Prairie- xvolves  hunt  after  deer 


146  THE   INDIANS   OF 


which  they  generally  overtake ;  or  keep  close  to 
a  buttalo  herd,  feeding  on  such  as  die,  or  on  those 
that   are    badly  wounded   in   fighting  with    one 
another.     The  white,  black,  and  clouded  wolves 
are  in  the  northern  parts.     There  are  many  kinds 
deer.     1  told  you,  that  sometimes  a  deer-hunt 
took  place  on  a  large  scale,  by  enclosing  a  circle, 
and  driving  the  deer  into  it.     In  shootin^  ante' 
lopes,  the  hunter  has  only  to  stick  up  his  ramrod 
in  the  ground  in  their  neighbourhood,  and  throw 
over  it  his  handkerchief;  while  he,  with  his  rifle 
ready  loaded,  lies  on  the  grass  near  at  hand.     The 
antelopes  will  soon  approach  the  handkerchief  to 
see  what  it  is,  when  the  hunter  may  make  them 
an  easy  prey.     The  largest  deer  is  the  moose  deer 
which  is  often  seven  feet  high.     He  is  an  awk 
ward,    overgrown-looking   creature,  with   broad 
horns ;  but,  awkward  as  he  is,  I  question  if  any 
>1  you  could  outrun  him.     Mountain  and  valley, 
lake  and  river,  seem  alike  to  him,  for  he  crosses 
them  all.     In  the  snow,  to  be  sure,  the  unwearied 
and  persevering  hound  will  overtake  him;    but 
let  hini  beware  of  his  horns,  or  he  will  be  flying 
head  over  heels  in  the  air  in  a  twinkling.     The 
moose  deer,  however,  cannot  successfully  strive 
with  the  hunter's  rifle. 

Austin.  Nothing  can  stand  against  man. 
Hunter.  And  yet  what  is  man  opposed  to  his 
His  strength  is  perfect  weakness !     In  a 
moment,  in  a  twinkling  of  an  eye,  he  "  changes 
ms  countenance,  and  sends  him  away."' 

Basil.  What  other  kinds  of  deer  do  Indians 
catch  ? 


NORTH   AMERICA. 


147 


Hunter.   The   elk,    with   his  large   branching 
horns,  win  would  despise  a  palace  as  a  dwelling- 


The  "Wapiti  Deer. 


place.  Nothing  less  than  the  broad  sky  above 
his  head,  and  the  ground  of  the  boundless  forest 
oeneath  his  feet,  will  satisfy  him.  After  the  elk, 
come  the  Virginia,  or  common  deer,  the  wapit 
deer,  the  black-tailed  deer,  and  the  cariboo.  Ail 
these  are  the  prey  of  the  hunter.  Their  savoury 
flesh  supplies  him  with  food,  and  their  soft  skins 
are  articles  of  merchandise.  The  mountain  sheep 
may  often  be  seen  skipping  from  one  ledge  to 
another  of  tl  e  rugged  rocks,  and  precipitous  clayey 


THE    INDIANS    OF 


cliffs  of  the  west  am  wilds,  giving  life  to  the  solitary 
place,  and  interest  to  the  picturesque  beauty  of 
lonely  spots, 

Austin.  You  have  mentioned  all  the  animals 
now,  I  think,  that  the  hunter  chases;  for  you 
spoke  before  about  beavers,  badgers,  foxes,  rac 
coons,  squirrels  and  some  others. 

Basil.  You  have  never  told  us,  though,  how 
they  catch  the  musk-rat.  I  should  like  to  know 
that. 

Hunter.  Well,  then,  I  will  tell  you  how  they  take 
the  musk-rat,  but  must  first  speak  about  the  prairie 
dog.  ^  Prairie  dogs  are  a  sort  of  marmot,  but  their 
bark  is  somewhat  like  that  of  a  small  dog.  Rising 
from  the  level  prairie,  you  may  sometimes  see,  for 
miles  together,  small  hillocks  of  a  conical  form, 
thrown  up  by  the  prairie  dogs,  which  burrow 
some  eight  or  ten  feet  in  the  ground.  On  a  fine 
day,  myriads  of  these  dogs,  not  much  unlike  so 
many  ^  rats,  run  about,  or  sit  barking  on  the  tops 
of  their  hillocks.  The  moment  any  one  approaches 
them,  they  disappear,  taking  shelter  in  their  bur 
rows. 

Basil.  Oh,  the  cunning  little  rogues. 
Hunter.  The  musk-rat  builds  his  burrow  (which 
looks  like  a  hay-stack)  of  wild  rice  stalks  ;  so 
that,  while  he  has  a.  dry  lodging,  a  hole  at  the 
bottom  enables  him,  when  he  pleases,  to  pass  into 
the  shallow  water  beneath  his  burrow  or  lodge. 
In  taking  a  musk-rat,  a  person  strikes  the  top  of 
the  burrow,  and  out  scampers  the  tenant  within  ; 
but  no  sooner  does  he  run  through  his  hole  into 
the  shallow  water,  than  he  is  instantly  caught 


NORTH   AMERICA. 

with  a  spear.     Myriads  of  these  little  animals  are 
taken  in  this  manner  for  their  fur. 

Inl  They  must  be  a  good  deal  like  prame 
dogs,  though  one  has  his  house  on  the  land,  and 
the  other  in  the  water. 

Hunter.  These  wide  prairies,  on  which  roam 
bisons  and  horses  and  deer  innumerable  ;    and 
these  shallow  waters,  where  musk-rats  abound 
will  probably,  in  succeeding  years,  assume  another 
character.     White  men  will  possess  them;  c 
lized   manners   and   customs   will   prevail,   and 
Christianity  spread   from  the  Mississippi  to    he 
Rocky  Mountains ;  for  the  kingdoms  of  the  world 
you  know,  are  to  become  the  kingdoms  of  our 
Lord  and  of  his  Christ. 

Jlustin.  You  have  told  us  a  great  deal  indeed, 
to-dav   about  the  prairies. 

Hunter.  I  have*  already  spoken  of  the  prairie 
fires;  I  mean  the  burning  grass  set   on  f 
accident,  or  purposely,  for  the  double  advantage 
of  obtaining  a  clearer  path  and  an  abundant  crop  oi 
fresh  grass ;  but  I  must  relate  an'  adventure  of  my 
own,  of  a  kind  not  likely  to  be  forgotten      So  long 
as  a  prairie  fire  is  confined  to  the  high  grounds 
there  is  very  little  danger  from  it;  for,  in  su< 
situations,  ft  grass  being  short    the  fire  never 
becomes  large,  though  the  line  of  flame  is  a  long 
one      Birds  and  beasts  retire  before  it  in  a  very 
leisurely  manner ;  but  in  plains  where  the  gra: 
is  lono-,  it  is  very  different. 

Austin.  I  should  like  to  see  one  of  those  great, 
high,  round  bluffs  on  fire.     There  must  be  a  fi 
bonfire  then. 


150  '   THE    INDIANS    OF 

Hunter.  There  you  are  mistaken,  for  as  I  have 
already  told  you,  the  grass  is  short  on  the  bluffs. 
To  jje  sure,  the  sight  of  a  bluff  on  fire,  on  a  dark 
night,  is  very  singular ;  for  as  you  can  only  see 
the  curved  line  of  flame,  the  bluff  being  hidden 
by  the  darkness,  so  it  seems  as  though  the  curyed 
lines  of  flame  were  up  in  the  air,  or  in  the  sky. 

Basil.  They  must  look  very  beautifully. 

Hunter.  They  do  :  but  when  a.  fire  takes  place 
in  a  low  bottom  of  long  grass,  sedge  and  tangled 
dry  plants,  more  than  six  feet  high ;  and  when  a 
rushing  wind  urges  on  the  fiery  ruin,  flashing 
like  the  lightning  and  roaring  like  the  thunder ; 
the  appearance  is  not  beautiful,  but  terrible.  I 
have  heard  the  shrill  war  whoop,  and  the  clash 
of  contending  tomahawks  in  the  fight,  when  no 
quarter  has  been  given.  I  have  witnessed  the 
wild  burst  where  Niagara,  a  river  of  waters,  flings 
itself  headlong  down  the  Horseshoe  Fall ;  and  I 
have  been  exposed  to  the  fury  of  the  hurricane. 
But  none  of  these  are  half  so  terrible  as  the  flam 
ing  ocean  of  a  long-grass  prairie-fire. 

Jlustin.  Oh !  it  must  be  terrible. 

Hunter.  The  trapper  is  bold,  or  he  is  not  fit  for 
his  calling ;  the  hunter  is  brave,  or  he  could  never 
wage  war  as  he  does  with  danger  ;  and  the  In 
dian  from  his  childhood  is  familiar  with  peril :  yet 
the  Indian,  the  hunter  and  the  trapper  tremble, 
a  well  they  may,  at  a  prairie-meadow  fire.  But 
I  masf  relate  my  adventure. 

Basit.   I  am  almost  afraid  to  hear  it. 

Austin.  Poh !  nonsense !  It  will  liever  hurt 
you. 


NORTH    AMERICA. 


Hunter.  A  party  of  five  of  us,  well  mounted, 
and  having  with  us  our  rifles  and  lances ^  were 
making;  the  best  of  our  way  across  one  of  the  low 
prairie  bottoms,  where  the  thick  coarse  grass  ana 
shrubs,  even  as  we  sat  on  our  horses,  were  often 
as  nigh  as  our  heads;  when  we  noticed,  every 
now  a&nd  then,  a  flight- of  prairie  hens   or  grouse 
rapidly  winging  their  way  by  us.     Two  of  our 
party  were   of  the  Blackfoot  tribe;  their  names 
were    Ponokah    (elk)   and    ^oeese   (wigwam.) 
These  Indians  had  struck  into  a  buffalo  trail,  and 
we  had  proceeded  for  a  couple  of  hours  as  fast  as 
the  matted  grass  and  wild  pea-vines  would  allow, 
when  suddenly  the  wind  that  was  blowing  furiously 
from  the  east  became  northerly,  and  in  a  moment 
Moeese,  snuffing  the  air,  uttered  the  words, 
kapa,"  (bad;)  and  Ponokah,  glancing  his  eyes 
northward,  added,  «  Eehcooa  pah  kaps,"  (very 

Austin.  I  guess  what  was  the  matter. 

Brian.  And  so  do  I. 

Hunter,  In  another  instant  a  rush  was  heard, 
and  Ponokah,  who  was  a  little  ahead,  cried  OIK, 
"Erieuh!"  (buffalo!)  when  three  bisons  came 
dashino-  furiously  along  another  trail  towards  us. 
No  sooner  did  they  set  eyes  on  us^  than  they 
abruptly  turned  southward.  By  this  time,  we  all 
understood  that,  to  the  north,  the  prairie  was  on 
fire;  for  the  air  smelt  strong.  Deer,  «***»*> 
and  other  animals,  sprang  forward  in  differer 
directions  from  the  prairie,  and  a  smoke,  not  very 
distant,  like  a  cloud,  was  visible 

Austin.  I  hope  you  set  off  at  full  gt  lop. 


152 


THE    INDIANS    OF 


Hunter.  We  were  quite  disposed  to  uro-e  our 
horses  onward  ;  but  the  trail  took  a  turn  towards 
burning  prairie,  and  we  were  obliged  to  force 
our  way  into  another,  in  doing  which  my  horse 
got  his  feet  entangled,  and  he  fell,  pitching  me 
over  his  head  some  yards  before  him.  I  was  not 
hurt  by  the  fall,  for  the  thick  herbage  protected 
me  ;  but  the  worst  of  it  was,  that  my  rifle,  which 
had  been  carelessly  slung,  fell  from  my  shoulder 
among  the  long  grass,  and  being  somewhat  con 
tused  by  my  fall,  I  could  not  find  it. 

Brian.    You    ought    not   to  have   stopped    a 
moment. 

Hunter.  Perhaps  not ;  but,  to  a  hunter,  a  rifle 
is  no  trifling  loss,  and  I  could  not  make  up  my 
ramd  to  lose  mine.     Time  was  precious,  for  the 
smoke  rapidly  increased  ;  and  both  Ponokah  and 
ese,  who  knew  more  about  burning  prairies 
ban  I  did,  and  were  therefore  more  alive  to  our 
danger,  became  very  impatient.     By  the  time  my 
rifle  was  found,  and  we  were  ready  to  proceed 
the  fire  had  gained  upon  us  in  a  crescent  form  so 
;  before  and    behind    we    were  hemmed    in 
I  he  only  point  clear  of  the  smoke  was  to  the 
south  ;  but  no  trail  ran  that  way,  and  we  feared 
that,  in  forcing  a  road,  another  accident  might 
occur  like  that  which  had  befallen  us. 

Austin.  I  cannot  think  what  you  could  do  in 
such  a  situation.  : 

Hunter.  Our  disaster  had  come  upon  us  so 
unexpectedly,  and  the  high  wind  had  so  hurried 
on  the  flaming  storm,  that  there  seemed  to  be  no 
time  for  a  moment's  thought.  Driven  by  neces- 


JfORTH    AMERICA.  153 

sity,  we  plunged  into  the  thick  grass  to  the  south  ; 
but  our  progress  was  not  equal  to  that  of  the  fire, 
which  was  now  fast  approaching,  blackening  the 
air  with  smoke,  and  roaring  every  moment  louder 
and  louder.  Our  destruction  seemed  almost  cer 
tain;  when  Ponokah,  judging,  I  suppose,  by  the 
comparative  thinness  of  the  smoke  eastward,  that 
we  were  not  far  from  the  boundary  of  the  prairie 
bottom,  dashed  boldly  along  a  trail  in  that  direc 
tion,  in  the  face  of  the  fire,  crying  out  to  us  to 
follow.  With  the  daring  of  men  in  extremity, 
we  put  our  horses  to  their  speed,  broke  through 
the  smoke,  fire,  grass,  and  flame,  and  found  our 
selves  almost  instantly  on  a  patch  of  ground  over 
which  the  fire  had  passed  ;  but,  as  the  grass  had 
evidently  been  scanty,  we  were  free  from  danger* 
From  a  neighbouring  bluff,  which  the  smoke  had 
before  hidden  from  our  view,  we  saw  the  progress 
of  the  flame — a  spectacle  that  filled  me  with 
amazement.  The  danger  we  had  escaped  seemed 
increased  by  the  sight  of  the  fearful  conflagration, 
and  I  know  not  whether  terror,  amazement,  or 
thankfulness  most  occupied  my  mind. 

Austin.     That  was,  indeed,  a  narrow  escape. 

Hunter.  As  we  stood  on  the  blufF,  dismounted, 
to  gaze  on  the  flying  flames — which  appeared  in 
the  distance  like  a  huge  fiery  snake  of  some  miles 
in  length,  writhing  in  torture — my  wonder  in 
creased.  The  spectacle  was  fearful  and  sublime, 
and  the  conflagration  nearest  to  us  resembled  the 
breakers  of  the  deep  that  dash  or  a  rocky  shore, 
only  formed  of  fire,  roaring  and  lestroying,  pre 
ceded  by  thick  clouds  of  smoke  Before  then,  I 


154 


THE    INDIANS    OF 


had  been  accustomed  to  sights  and  scenes  of  peril 
and  had  witnessed  the  burning  of  short  oTaSs  to 
some  extent;  but  this  was  the  first  time  I  had 
been  in  such  fearful  danger— the  first  time  I  felt 
the  awfulness  of  such  a  situation— the  first  time 
ftat  I  had  really  seen  the  prairie  on  fire ! 

Brian.  There  can  be  nothing  in  the  world  like 
a  burning  prairie,  unless  it  be  a  burning  mountain. 
Hunter.  A  burning  prairie,  when  we  are  near 
it,  is  a  vast  and  overwhelming  spectacle;    but. 
every  rising  and  setting  sun  exhibits  Almighty 
wisdom,  power  and  goodness,  on  a  scale  infinitely 
beyond   that  of  a  hundred  burning  prairies.     It 
is  a  good  thing  to  accustom  ourselves  to  regard 
the  works  of  creation  around  us  with  that  atten 
tion  and  wonder  they  are  calculated  to  inspire 
and  especially  to  ponder  on  the  manifestation  of 
God's  grace  set  forth  in  his  holy  word.     When 
burning  prairies  and  burning  mountains  shall  be 
ail  extinguished;    when  rising  and  setting  suns 
and  ah  earthly  glory  shall  be  unknown  ;  then  shall 
the  followers  of  the  Redeemer  gaze  on  the  brighter 
glories  of  heaven,  and  dwell  for  ever  with  their 
Leader  and  their  Lord. 


AMEHICA. 


155 


Buffalo  Dance. 

CHAPTER  XL 

BUFFALOES,  bears,  wild  horses,  wolves,  deer, 
orairic-dogs  and  musk-rats,  were  a  fruitful  source 
of  convention  to  the  young  people  in  their  lei 
sure  hours,  until  such  time  as  they  could  again  visit 
heir  interesting  friend  at  the  cottage.     Various 
plans  were  formed  to  attack  grizzly  bears,  to  catch 
Uld   horses,  and   to   scare   away  half-famished 
wolves-  in  all  of  which,  Jowler,  notwithstanding 
his  bad  behaviour  at  the  buffalo  hunt  was  «- 
peered  to  act  a  distinguished  part      Black   Ton, 
was  scarcely  considered  worth  thinking  about  ht 
being  too  wild  by  half  for  a  wild  horse,  and  too 
fainthearted  for  a  grizzly  bear.     At  one  time,  i 
was  so  far  determined  for  him  to  play  the  part  o, 
,  prairie-dog,  that  Austin  set  about  digging  a  l,ol« 


156  THE    INDIANS    OF 

for  him  :  before  it  was  finished,  however,  the  plan 
was  abandoned  ;  Brian  and  Basil  both  feeling  posi 
tive  that,  let  Austin  dig  a  hole  as  deep  as  he 
would,  Black  Tom  would  never  be  persuaded  to 
run  into  it. 

After  much  deliberation,  catching  wild  horses 
being  given  up — on  the  score  that  Black  Tom 
would  run  away  too  fast,  and  Jowler  would  not 
run  away  at  all — a.  bear  hunt  was  resolved  on, 
•having,  as  Brian  observed,  two  especial  advan 
tages  :  the  first,  that  all  of  them  could  enjoy  the 
sport  at  once  ;  and  the  second,  that  Jowler  would 
be  sure  to  attack  them  all,  just  like  a  grizzly  bear. 

No  time  was  lost  in  preparing  their' long  spears, 
and  in  dressing  themselves  as  much  like  renowned 
chiefs  as  their  knowledge  and  resources  would  al 
low.  And,  in  order  that  Jowler  might  the  more 
closely  resemble  a  grizzly  bear,  a  white  apron  was 
spread  over  his  broad  back,  and  tied  round  his 
neck.-  The  lawn  was,  as  before,  the  scene  of  their 
exploits,  the  prairie  on  which  the  fearful  monster 
was  to  be  overcome ;  and,  to  the  credit  of  their 
courage  be  it  spoken,  neither  Austin,  Brian  nor 
Basil,  manifested  the  slightest  token  of  fear. 

Jowler  was  led  by  them  among  the  bushes  of  the 
shrubbery,  that  he  migh'.  burst  out  upon  them  all 
at  once  ;  and  this  part  of  the  arrangement  answer 
ed  excellently  well,  only  that  Jowler  arrived  on 
the  prairie  first  instead  of  last ;  add  to  which,  the 
bushes  having  so  far  despoiled  him  of  his  grizzly 
hide,  the  white  apron,  as  to  nave  pulled  it  off  his 
back,  he  set  to  work  mouthing  and  tearing  at  it, 
to  get  it  from  his  neck.  At  last,  in  spite  of  a  few 


NORTH   AMERICA.  15* 

untoward  and  unbearlike  actions  on  the  part  of 
Jowler,  the  attack  took  place.  With  undaunted 
resolution,  Austin  sustained  Jowler's  most  furious 
charges ;  Brian  scarcely  manifested  less  bravery  ; 
and  .little  Basil,  though  he  had  broken  his  lance, 
and  twice  fallen  to  the  earth,  made  a  desperate  and 
successful  attack  on  his  fearful  antagonist,  and 
caught  him  fast  by  the  tail.  It  was  on  the  whole 
a  capital  adventure ;  for  though  they  could  not 
with  truth  say  that  they  had  killed  the  bear,  neither 
could  the  bear  say  that  he  had  killed  them. 

The  bear  hunt  being  at  an  end,  they  set  off  for 
the  cottage ;  for  the  hunter  had  promised  to  de 
scribe  to  them  some  of  the  games  of  the  Indian 
tribes,  and  he  was  soon  engaged  in  giving  them  an 
account  of  .the  ball-play  of  the  Choctaws.  "At 
the  Choctaw  ball-play  thousands  of  spectators  at 
tend,  and  sometimes  a  thousand  young  men  are 
engaged  in  the  game." 

Hunter.  It  is  played  in  the  open  prairie,  and 
the  players  have  no  clothes  on  but  their  trowsers, 
a  beautiful  belt  formed  of  beads,  a  mane  of  dyed 
horse-hair  of  different  colours,  and  a  tail  sticking 
out  from  behind  like  the  tail  of  a  horse  ;  this  last 
is  either  formed  of  white  horse-hair  or  of  quills. 

Brian.     And  how  do  they  play  ? 

Hunter.  Every  iran  has  two  sticks,  with  a 
kind  of  hoop  at  the  end,  webbed  across,  and 
with  these  they  catch  and  strike  the  ball.  The 
goal  on  each  side,  consisting  of  two  upright  posts 
and  a  pole  across  the  top,  is  set  up  twenty-five 
feet  high  ;  these  goals  are  from  forty  to  fifty  rods 
apart.  Every  time  either  party  can  strike  the  ball 


158 


THE    INDIANS    OF 


through  their  goal,  one  is  reckoned,  and  a  h 
is  the  game. 

Basil.  What  a  scuffle  there  must  be  among  so 
many  of  them ! 

Hunter.  When  every  thing  is  ready  for.  the 
game  to  begin,  a  gun  is  fired  ;  and  some  old  men, 
who  are  to  be  the  judges,  fling  up  the  ball  in  the 
middle,  half-way  between  the  two  goals. 

Brian.     Now  for  the  struggle. 

Hunter.  One  party  being  painted  white,  every 
man  knows  his  opponent.  No  sooner  is  the  ball 
m  the  air,  than  a  rush  takes  place.  Every  one 
with  his  webbed  stick  raised  above  his  head ;  no 
one  is  allowed  to  strike  or  to  touch  the  ball  with  his 
hands.  They  cry  out  aloud  at  the  very  top  of 
their  voice's,  rush  on,  leap  up  to  strike  the  ball, 
and  do  all  they  can  to  help  their  own  side  and 
hinder  their  opponents.  They  leap  over  each 
other,  dart  between  their  rivals'  legs,  trip  them  up, 
throw  them  dowrn,  grapple  with  two  or  three  at  a 
time,  and  often  fall  to  fisticuffs  in  right  earnest. 
There  they  are,  in  the  midst  of  clouds  of  dust, 
running,  striking  and  struggling  with  all  their 
might ;  so  that,  what  with  the  rattle  of  the  sticks, 
the  cries,  the  wrestling,  the  bloody  noses,  the 
bruised  shins,  the  dust,  uproar  and  confusion,  such 
a  scene  of  excitement  is  hardly  to  be  equalled  by 
any  other  game  in  the  world. 

Brian.     How  long  does  the  game  last  ? 

Hunter.  It  begins  about  eight  or  nine  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  and  sometimes  is  scarcely  finished 
by  sunset.  A  minute's  rest  is  allowed  every  time 
the  ball  is  urged  beyond  the  goal,  and  then  the 


NORTH   AMERICA. 


,, 

of  ,c,l  ,-locks  i  bol  jou  ..e  bin.  Mt  «2" 

He  should  spring  on  a  horse  wild  as  the  wi 

qnme  in  savage  as  in  civilized  life  ;  but  the  , 

is  oftentimes  more  wild,  strange,  and  purturesqne 

that  the  Camanchees 


But  you  had  no  horse  to  ride.     I  was 
a  Soux  ;  and  the  Sionx  are  capital  riders  too^ 
Basil.     And  so  are  the  Pawnees. 
in  the  buffalo  hunt. 

It  was  told  me  that  the  Camanchees- 


160  THE    INDIANS    OF 

and,  indeed,  some  of  the  Pawnees  also— -were 
able,  while  riding  a  horse  at  full  gallop,  to  lie 
along  on  one  side  of  him,  with  an  arm  in  a  sling 
from  the  horse's  neck,  and  one  heel  over  the 
horse's  back ;  and  that,  while  the  body,  was  thus 
screened  from  an  enemy,  they  could  use  their 
lances  with  effect,  and  throw  their  arrows  with 
deadly  aim.  The  Camanchees  are  so  much  on 
their  horses,  that  they  never  seem  at  their  ease 
except  when  they  are  flying  across  the  prairie  on 
horseback. 

Austin.  It  would  be  worth  going  to  the  prai 
ries,  if  it  were  only  to  see  the  Camanchees  ride. 

Hunter.  Besides  horse-races,  the  Indians  have 
foot-races  and  canoe-races  and  wrestling.  The  In 
dians  are  also  very  fond  of  archery,  in  which,  using 
their  bows  and  also  arrows  so  much  as  they  do,  it 
is  no  wonder  they  are  very  skilful.  The  game 
of  the  arrow  is  a  very  favourite  amusement  with 
them.  It  is  played  on  the  open  prairie.  There 
is  no  target  set  up  to  shoot  at,  as  there  is  ge 
nerally  ;  but  every  archer  sends  his  first  arrow  as 
high  as  he  can  into  the  air. 

Austin.  Ay,  I  see  !  He  whr  shoots  the  highest 
in  the  air  is  the  winner. 

Hunter.  Not  exactly  so.  It  is  not  he  who 
shoots  highest  that  is  the  victor ;  but  he  who  can 
get  the  greatest  number  of  arrows  into  the  air  at 
the  same  time.  Picture  to  yourselves  a  hundred 
well-made,  active  young  men,  on  the  open  prairie, 
each  carrying  a  bow,  with  eight  or  ten  arrows,  in 
his  left  hand.  He  sends  an  arrow  into -the  air 
with  all  his  strength,  and  then,  'instantly,  with  a 


NORTH   AMERICA.  161 

rapidity  that  is  truly  surprising,  shoots  arrow 
after  arrow  upwards,  so  that,  before  the  first  arrow 
has  reached  the  ground,  half  a  dozen  others  have 
mounted  into  the  air.  Often  have  I  seen  seven  or 
eight,  shafts  from  the  same  bow  in  the  air  at  once. 

Austin.  Brian,  we  will  try  what  we  can  do  to 
morrow  ;  but  we  shall  never  have  so  many  as 
seven  or  eight  up  at  once. 

Hunter.  The  Indians  are  famous  swimmers, 
and,  indeed,  if  they  were  not,  it  would  often  go 
hard  with  them.  They  are  taught  when  very 
young  to  make  their  way  through  the  water,  and 
though  they  do  it  usually  in  a  manner  different 
front  tkat  of  white  men,  I  hardly  think  many  white 
men  would  equal  them,  either  as  to  their  speed, 
or  tKe  length  of  time  they  will  continue  in  the 
water. 

Austin.  But  how  do  they  swim,  if  their  way  is 
different  from  ours?  I  can  swim  a  little,  and  I 
should  like  to  learn  their  way,  if  it  is  the  best. 

Hunter.  I  am  not  quite  prepared  to  say  that ; 
for,  though  red  men  are  more  expert  swimmers 
than  white  men,  that  may  be  owing  to  their  being 
more  frequently  in  the  water.  They  fish  a  great 
deal  in  the  lakes";  and  they  have  often  to  cross 
brooks  and  rivers  in  too  much  haste  to  allow  them 
to  get  into  a  canoe.  A  squaw  thinks  but  very 
little  of  plunging  into  a  rolling  river  with  a  child 
on  her  back ;  for  the  women  cwirn  nearly  or 
quite  as  well  as  the  men. 

Austin.  But  you  did  not  tell  us  wherein  their 
way  of  swimming  is  different  from  ours. 

Hunter.  Whites  swim  by  striking  out  their  legs 
6 


162  THE    INDIANS    OF 

and  both  arms  at  the  same  time,  keeping  their 
breasts  straight  against  the  water ;  but  the  Indian 
fcirikes  out  with  one  arm  only,  turning  himself  on 
his  side  every  stroke,  first  on  one  side  and  then 
on  t'-'e  other,  so  that,  instead  of  his  broad  chest 
bre?§f^g  the  water  in  front,  he  cuts  through  it 
sidewa*  ,  finding  less  resistance  in  that  way  than 
the  othei.  Much  may  be  said  in  favour  of  both 
these  mod  -3.  The  Indian  mode  requires  more 
activity  ano  >kill,  while  the  other  depends  more 
on  the  strength  of  the  arms,  a  point  in  which 
they  far  surpass  the  Indian,  who  has  had  little 
exercise  of  the  arms,  and  consequently  but  com 
paratively  little  st;  ^ngth  in  those  limbs.  I  always 
considered  myself  to  b?  a  good  swimmer,  but  I 
was  no  match  for  the  Indians.  I  shall  not  soon 
forget  a  prank  that  was  once  played  me  on  the 
Knife  River,  by  some  of  the  Minatarees  ;  it  con 
vinced  me  of  their  adroitness  in  the  W7ater. 

Basil.  What  was  ?  Did  they  dip  your  head 
under  the  water  ? 

Hunter.  No ;  you  shall  hear.  I  was  crossing 
the  river  in  a  b  nil-boat,  which  is  nothing  more 
than  a  tub,  made  of  buffalo's  skin,  stretched  on  a 
framework  of  willow  boughs.  The  tub  was  just 
large  enough  to  hold  me  and  the  few  things  which 
I  had  with  me;  when  suddenly  a  group  of  young 
swimmers,  most  of  them  mere  children,  sur 
rounded  me,  and  began  playfully  to  turn  my  tub 
round  and  round  in  the  stream.  Not  being  pre 
pared  to  swim,  on  account  of  my  dress,  I  began 
to  manifest  some  fear  lest  my  poor  tub  should  be 


NORTH    AMERICA.  163 

overturned  ;  but  the  more  fearful  I  was,  the  better 
pleased  were  my  mirthful  tormentors. 

Jlustin.  Ah  !  I  can  see  it  spinning  round  like 
a  peg-top,  in  the  middle  of  the  river. 

Brian.      And  did  they  upset  the  tub  ? 

Hunter.  No.  After  amusing  themse1  js  foi 
some  time  at  my  expense,  now  and  the**,  diving 
under  the  tub,  and  then  pulling  down-fine  edge 
of  it  level  with  the  water,  on  receiving  a  few 
beads,  or  other  trifles  which  I  happ  ^ied  to  have 
with  me,  they  drew  me  and  my  bull-boat  to  the 
shore  in  safety.  They  were  beautiful  swim 
mers,  and,  as  I  told  you,  L  shall  not  soon  forget 
them.  r>' 

The  dances  among  the  Indians  are  very  nume 
rous  ;  some  of  them  are  lively  enough,  while 
others  are  very  grave ;  and,  then,  most  of  the 
tribes  are  fond  of  relating  adventures. 

There  are  the  buffalo  dance,  the  bear  dance, 
the  dog  dance  and  the  es^e  dance.  And  then 
there  are  the  ball-play 'dance,  the  green  corn  dance, 
the  beggars'  dance,  the  slave  dance,  the  snow- 
shoe  dance,  and  the  straw  dance ;  and,  besides 
these,  there  are  the  discovery  dance,  the  brave 
dance,  the  war  dance,  the  scalp  .dance,  the  pipe- 
of-peace  dance,  and  many  others  lliat  I  do  not  at 
this  moment  remember. 

Brian.  You  must  please  to  tell  us  about 
them  all. 

Jlustin.  But  not  all  at  once,  or  else  we  shall 
have  too  short  an  account.  Suppose  you  tell  us 
of  two  or  three  of  them  now. 

Hunter.     To  describe  every  dance  at  length 


164  THE    INDIANS    OF 

would  be  tires  >me,  as  many  of  them  have  the 
same  character  It  will  be  better  to  confine  our 
selves  to  a  few  of  the  principal  dances.  1  have 
known  a  bulfalo  dance  continue  for  a  fortnight  or 
longer,  day  and  night,  without  intermission. 
When  I  was  among  the  Man  dans,  every  Indian 
had  a  buffalo  mask  ready  to  put  on  whenever  he 
required  it.  It  was  composed  of  the  skin  of  a 
buffalo's  head,  with  the  horns  on  it ;  a  long,  thin 
strip  of  the  buffalo's  hide,  with  the  tail  at  the 
end  of  it,  hanging  down  from  the  back  of  the 
mask. 

Austin.  What  figures  they  would  look  with 
their  masks  on  !  Did  you  say  that  they  kept  up 
the  dance  day  and  night? 

Hunter.  Yes.  The  Mandans  were  strong  in 
their  village,  but  comparatively  weak  whenevei 
they  left  it,  for  then  they  were  soon  in  the  neigh 
bourhood  of  their  powerful  enemies.  This  being' 
the  case,  when  the  buffaloes  of  the  prairie  wan 
dered  far  away  from  them,  they  were  at  times 
half  starved.  The  buffalo  dance  was  to  make, 
buffaloes  come  back  again  to  the  prairies  neai 
them. 

Brian.  But  how  could  they  bring  them  back 
again  ? 

Hunter.  The  buffalo  dance  was  a  kind  of 
-homage  paid  to  the  Great  Spirit,  that  he  might 
take  pity  on  them,  and  send  them  supplies. 
The  dancers  assembled  in  the  middle  of  the  vil 
lage,  each  wearing  his  mask,  with  its  horns  and 
long  tail,  and  carrying  in  his  hand  a  lance,  or  a 
bow  arid  arrows.  The  dance  began,  by  about  a 


NORTH    AMERICA.  165 

of  them  thus  attired,  starting,  hopping,, 
jumping  and  creeping  in  all  manner  of  strange, 
uncouth  forms  ;  singing,  yelping,  and  making  odd 
sounds  of  every  description,  while  others  were 
shaking  rattles  and  beating  drums  with  all  their 
might ;  the  drums,  the  rattles,  the  yelling,  the 
frightful  din,  with  the  uncouth  antics  of  the  danc 
ers,  altogether  presented  such  a  scene,  that,  were 
you  once  to  be  present  at  a  buffalo  dance, 
you  would  talk  of  it  long  after,  and  would  not 
forget  it  all  the  days  of  your  lives. 

Basil.  And  do  they  keep  that  up  for  a  fort 
night  ? 

Hunter,  Sometimes  much  longer,  for  they 
never  give  over  dancing  till  the  buffaloes  come* 
Every  dancer,  when  he  is  tired,  (and  this  he 
makes  known  by  crouching  down  quite  low,)  is 
shot  with  blunt  arrows,  and  dragged  away,  when 
his  place  is  supplied  by  another.  While  the 
dance  is  going  on,  scouts  are  sent  out  to  look  for 
buffaloes,  and  as  soon  as  they  are  found,  a  shout 
of  thanksgiving  is  raised  to  the  Great  Spirit,  to 
the  medicine  man,  and  to  the  dancers,  and  prepa 
ration  is  made  for  a  buffalo  hunt.  After  this,  a 
great  feast  takes  place ;  all  their  sufferings  from 
scarcity  are  forgotten,  and  they  are  as  prodigal, 
•and  indeed  wasteful,  of  their  buffalo  meat,  as  if 
they  had  never  known  the  want  of  it. 

Austin.  Well,  I  should  like  to  see  the  buffalo 
dance.  Could  not  we  manage  one  on  the  lawn, 
Brian  ? 

Brian.  Bui  where  are  we  to  get  the  buffalo 
masks  from?  The  buffalo  hunt  did  very  well, 


166  THE    INDIANS    OF 

but  I  hardly  think  we  could  manage  the  dance 
Please  to  tell  us  of  the  bear  dance. 

Hunter.  I  think  it  will  be  better  to  tell  you 
about  that,  and  other  dances,  the  next  time  you 
visit  me ;  for  I  want  to  read  to  you  a  short 
account,  which  I  have  here,  of  a  potfr  Indian 
woman  of  the  Dog-ribbed  tribe.  I  have  not  said 
much  of  Indian  women,  and  I  want  you  to  feel 
kindly  towards  them.  It  was  Hearne,  who  went 
with  a  party  from  Hudson's  Bay  to  the  Northern 
Ocean,  many  years  ago,  who  fell  in  with  the  poor 
woman. 

Basil.  Oh,  yes  ;  let  us  hear  all  about  her ;  and 
you  can  tell  us  of  the  dances  when  we  come  again. 

Hunter.  Now,  then,  I  will  begin.  One  day 
in  January,  when  they  were  hunting,  they  saw  the 
track  of  a  strange  snow-shoe,  which  they  followed, 
and  at  a  considerable  distance  came  to  a  little  hut, 
where  they  discovered  a  young  woman  sitting 
alone.  On  examination,  she  proved  to  be  one 
of  the  Dog-ribbed  Indians,  who  had  been  taken 
prisoner  by  another  tribe,  in  the  summer  of  1770 ; 
and,  in  the  following  summer,  when  the  Indians 
that  took  her  prisoner  were  near  this  place,  she 
had  escaped  from  them,  intending  to  return  to  her 
own  country.  But  the  distance  being  so  great, 
and  havin-g,  after  she  was  taken  prisoner,  been 
carried  in  a  canoe  the  whole  way,  the  turnings 
and  windings  of  the  rivers  and  lakes  were  so 
numerous  that  she  forgot  the  track ;  so  she  built 
the  hut  in  which  she  was  found,  to  protect  her 
from  the  weather  during  the  winter,  and  here  she 
nad  resided  from  the  first  setting-in  of  the  fall. 


NORTH   AMERICA.  167 

Brian.  What,  all  by  herself!  How  lonely 
she  must  have  been ! 

Hunter.  From  her  account  of  the  moons 
passed  since  her  escape,  it  appeared  that  she  had 
been  nearly  seven  months  without  seeing  a  human 
face ;  during  all  which  time  she  had  supplied 
herself  very  well,  by  snaring  partridges,  rabbits 
and  squirrels :  she  had  also  killed  two  or  three 
beavers,  and  some  porcupines.  She  did  not  seem 
to  have  been  in  want,  and  Had  a  small  stock  of 
provisions  by  her  when  she  was  discovered. 
She  was  in  good  health  and  condition,  and  one 
of  the  finest  of  Indian  women. 

Austin.  I  should  have  been  afraid  that  other 
Indians  would  have  come  and  killed  her. 

Hunter.  The  methods  practised  by  this  poor 
creature  to  procure  a  livelihood  were  truly  admi 
rable,  and  furnish  proof  that  necessity  is  indeed 
the  mother  of  invention.  When  the  few  deer 
sinews,  that  she  had  an  opportunity  of  taking  with 
her,  were  expended,  in  making  snares  and  sewing 
her  clothing,  she  had  nothing  to  supply  their  place 
but  the  sinews  of  the  rabbits'  legs  and  feet. 
These  she  twisted  together  for  that  purpose  with 
great  dexterity  and  success.  The  animals  which 
she  caught  in  those  snares,  not  only  furnished  her 
with  a  comfortable  subsistence,  but  of  the  skins 
she  made  a  suit  of  neat  and  warm  clothing  for 
the  winter.  It  is  scarcely  possible  to  conceive 
that  a  person  in  her  forlorn  situation  could  be  so 
composed  as  to  be  capable  of  contriving  and 
executing  any  thing  that  was  not  absolutely  ne 
cessary  to  her  existence  ;  but  there  was  sufficient 


168  THE   INDIANS   OF 

proof  that  she  had  extended  her  care  much  far 
ther,  as  all  her  clothing,  besides  being  calculated 
for  real  service,  showed  great  taste,  and  exhibited 
no  little  variety  of  ornament.  The  materials, 
though  rude,  were  very  curiously  wrought,  and 
so  judiciously  placed,  as  to  make  the  whole  of 
her  garb  have  a  very  pleasant,  though  rather  ro 
mantic  appearance. 

Brian.  Poor  woman !  I  should  like  to  have 
seen  her  in  the  hut  6T  her  own  building,  and  the 
clothes  of  her  own  making. 

Hunter.  Her  leisure  hours  from  hunting  had 
been  employed  in  twisting  the  inner  rind  or  bark 
of  willows  into  small  lines,  like  net-twine,  of 
which  she  had  some  hundred  fathoms  by  her. 
With  these  she  intended  to  make  a  fishing-net,  as 
soon  as  the  spring  advanced.  It  is  of  the  inner 
bark  of  the  willows,  twisted  in  this  manner,  that 
the  Dog-ribbed  Indians  make  their  fishing-nets ; 
and  they  are  much  preferable  to  those  made  by 
the  Northern  Indians. 

Five  or  six  inches  of  an  iron  hoop,  made  into 
a  knife,  and  the  shank  of  an  arrow-head  of  iron? 
which  served  her  as  an  awl,  were  all  the  metals 
this  poor  woman  had  with  her  when  she  escaped  ; 
and  ^ith  these  implements  she  had  made  herself 
complete  snow-shoes,  and  several  other  useful 
articles. 

Austin.  Capital !  Why,  she  seems  able  to  do 
every  thing. 

Hunter.  Her  method  of  making  a  fire  was 
equally  singular  and  curious,  having  no  other 
materials  for  that  purpose  than  two  hard  stones.. 


NORTH   AMERICA. 


169 


These,  by  long  friction  and  hard  knocking,  pro 
duced  a  few  sparks,  which  at  length  communicat 
ed  to  some  touch-wood.  But  as  this  method  was 
attended  with  great  trouble,  and  not  always  suc 
cessful,  she  did  not  suffer  her  fire  to  go  out  all  the 
winter. 


Indian  Canoea. 


170 


THE    INDIANS    OF 


c,  drum,     d,  d,  rattles,     c,  drum.    /,  mystery 
whistle.    Si  deer-skin  flute. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

NEVER,  sure,  did  young  people  make  a  more 
grotesque  appearance,  than  did  Austin,  Brian,  and 
Basil  Edwards,  in  their  attempt  to  get  up  a  buffalo 
dance.  Each  had  a  mat  over  his  shoulders,  and 
a  brown  paper  mask  over  his  face  ;  two  wooden 
pegs  on  a  string  made  a  very  respectable  pair  of 
horns ;  bows  and  arrows  were  in  abundance ;  a 
toy  rattle  and  drum,  with  the  addition  of  an  iron 
spoon  and  a  wooden  trencher,  supplied  them  with 
music ;  and  neither  Mandan,  Pawnee,  Crow, 
Sioux,  Blackfoot,  nor  Camanchee,  could  have 
reasonably  complained  of  the  want  of  either  noise 
or  confusion. 

Then,  again,  they  were  very  successful  in  bring 
ing  buffaloes,  without  tv^hich  the  dance,  excellent 
as  it  was,  would  have  been  but  an  unsatisfactory 


NORTH   AMERICA.  171 


affair.  Black  Tom  had  been  prudently  shut  up 
in  the  tool-house,  and  Jowler  tied  up  to  a  tree 
hard  by,  so  that,  when  it  became  expedient  for 
buffaloes  to  appear,  the  house  of  Black  Tom  was 
opened,  and  Jowler  was  set  at  liberty.  All  things 
considered,  the  affair  went  off  remarkably  well. 

"  We  are  come  to  hear  of  the  bear  dance,  and 
the  dog  dance,  and  the  beggars'  dance,  and  the 
green  corn  dance,"  said  Austin  to  the  hunter,  on 
the  following  day,  when  a  visit  was  paid  to  the 
cottage.  The  hunter,  with  his  accustomed  kind 
ness  to  the  young  people,  lost  no  time  in  entering 
on  his  narrative.  "  You  must  not  forget,"  said 
he,  "  that  many  of  the  dances  of  the  Indians  par 
take  of  a  religious  character,  for  in  them  reverence 
and  adoration  are  freely  offered.  The  Indians' 
worship  of  the  Great  Spirit,  as  I  have  already  told 
you,  is  mingled  with  much  of  ignorance  and  su 
perstition,  whether  in  dances  or  in  other  observ 
ances  ;  yet  do  they,  at  times,  leave  upon  the  mind 
of  a  spectator  a  deep  impression  of  their  sincerity, 
though  this  does  not  excuse  their  error.  I  have 
not  as  yet  described  their  music,  and  therefore  will 
do  it  now." 

Austin.  Yes.  Now  for  the  music  of  the  In 
dians,  if  you  please,  sir. 

Hunter.  If  you  ever  go  among  them,  and  mingle 
in  their  dances,  you  must  not  expect  to  have  a 
band  of  music  such  as  you  have  in  our  cities. 
Whistles,  flutes,  rattles  and  drums  are  almost  all 
their  musical  instruments.  You  would  be  sur 
prised  at  the  music  that  some  of  the  young  In* 
dians  produce  with  the  mystery  whistle. 


172  THE   INDIANS   OF 

Austin.  Why  is  it  called  the  mystery  whistle? 

Hunter.  I  have  already  told  you  that  the  red 
man  calls  every  thing  mystery,  or  medicine,  that 
Js  surprising  <;  and  as  the  notes  of  this  whistle  are 
particularly  sweet,  it  may  be  called  a  mystery 
whistle  on  this  account.  There  is  another  whistle 
that  is  veiy  much  in  request  among  the  Indians7 
and  that  is  the  war  whistle.  The  onset  and  the 
retreat  in  battle  are  sounded  on  this  instrument  by 
the  leading  chief,  who  never  goes  on  an  expedi 
tion  without  it.  It  is  made  of  bone,  and  some 
times  it  is  formed  of  the  leg  bone  of  a  large  bird. 
The  shrill,  scream-like  note,  which  is  the  signal 
for  rushing  on  an  enemy,  would  make  you  start. 

Brian.  What  sort  of  a  drum  do  they  use  ?  Is 
it  a  kettle-drum  ? 

Hunter.  No.  It  is  merely  a  piece  of  raw  hide, 
stretched  as  tight  as  it  can  be  pulled  over  a  hoop. 
Some  of  their  drums  have  but  one  end,  or  surface., 
to  beat  upon,  while  others  have  two.  What  they 
would  do  in  their  dances  without  their  drums  I 
do  riot  know,  for  you  hear  them  continually. 
Their  rattles  are  of  different  kinds,  some  much 
larger  than  others;  but  the  principle  on  which 
they  are  formed  is  the  same,  that  is,  of  enclosing 
stones  of  different  sizes  in  hard,  dry,  raw  hide. 

Austin.  Have  they  no  trumpets  and  cymbals, 
and  clarionets  and  violins  ? 

Hunter.  No,  nothing  of  the  kind.  They  have 
a  deer-skin  flute,  on  which  very  tolerable  music 
is  sometimes  made ;  but,  after  all,  it  must  be  ad 
mitted  that  Indians  are  much  better  buffalo  hunt 
ers  than  musicians. 


NORTH   AMERICA.  173 

Jlustin.  Ay  ;  they  are  quite  at  home  in  hunting 
buffaloes. 

Hunter.  Yes  ;  and  they  are  at  home,  too,  in 
dancing,  being  extremely  nimble  of  foot.  Some 
of  their  dances  are  so  hideous  that  you  would  be 
disgusted  with  them,  while  others  would  keep  you 
laughing  in  spite  of  yourselves. 

Brian.  You  must  please  to  tell  us  about  these 
dances. 

Hunter.  Dancing  is  a  very  favourite  amuse 
ment  of  the  Indians ;  though  it  is,  for  the  most 
part,  of  a  character  so  different  from  that  of  dancing 
in  civilized  life,  that  few  people,  ignorant  of  its 
meaning  and  allusions,  would  like  it.  The  body 
is  so  continually  in  a  stooping  attitude,  and  the 
gestures  and  grimaces  appear  to  be  so  unmeaning, 
that  at  first  it  leaves  an  impression  that  they  are 
ridiculing  the  art  of  dancing,  rather  than  entering 
into  it  in  right  earnest.  There  is  such  creeping 
and  jumping  and  starting,  that  a  spectator  can 
make  but  little  of  it. 

Jiustin.  I  can  fancy  that  I  see  a  party  joining 
in  the  buffalo  dance  now,  with  their  masks  over 
their  faces.  Please  to  tell  us  of  the  bear  dance. 

Hunter.  By  and  by.  I  will  describe  a  few 
other  dances  first.  The  beggars'  dance  is  under 
taken  to  prevail  on  such  of  the  spectators  as 
abound  in  comforts  to  give  alms  to  those  who  are 
more  scantily  provided  with  them.  It  is  danced 
by  the  young  men  who  stand  high  -in  the  tribe. 
These  shake  "their  rattles,  hold  up  their  pipes  and 
brandish  their  lances,  while  they  dance ;  chanting 
in  an  odd  strain,  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  in 


174  THF    INDIANS   OF 

praise  of  the  Great  Spirit,  and  imploring  him  tc 
dispose  the  lookers  on  to  give  freely.  The  dancers 
are  all  naked,  with  the  exception  of  a  sort  of  kilt 
formed  of  quills  and  feathers ;  and  a  medicine 
man  keeps  on  all  the  time  beating  furiously  on 
a  drum  with  a  rattle,  and  hallooing  out  as  loud 
as  he  can  raise  his  voice. 

Austin.  That  ought  to  be  called  the  begging 
dance,  and  not  the  beggars'  dance ;  for  the  dancers 
do  not  beg  for  themselves,  but  for  others. 

Hunter.  You  see  that  the  object  of  the  dance  is 
a  good  one ;  for  many  a  skin,  or  pouch,  or  pipe, 
or  other  necessary  article,  is  given  by  the  specta 
tors  to  those  of  their  tribe  who  need  them.  It  is 
not  common  among  the  Indians  for  their  aged 
men  and  mystery  men  to  mingle  in  the  dance,  and 
yet  I  have  seen,  on  especial  occasions,  a  score  of 
them  jumping  and  capering  in  a  way  very  credita 
ble  to  their  agility.  The  Sioux  have  a  dance 
that  ought  to  be  called  the  doctors'  dance,  or  the 
dance  of  the  chiefs. 

Brian.  Why,  do  the  doctors  dance  in  it? 

Hunter.  Yes  ;  while  a  medicine  man  beats  his 
drum,  and  a  party  of  young  women^sing,  the 
chiefs  of  the  tribe  and  the  doctors  make  their 
appearance,  splendidly  attired  in  their  costliest 
head-dresses,  carrying  a  spear  in  one  hand  and  a 
rattle  in  the  other.  Every  movement  is  strictly 
regulated  by  the  beat  of  the  drum,  and  the  dance 
by  degrees  becomes  more  and  more  spirited,  until 
you  would  suppose  the  party  must  be  exhausted  ; 
but  men  so  much  in  the  open  air,  and  whose  limbs 
are  so  little  restrained  by  bandages  and  tight  cloth* 


NORTH   AMERICA.  175 

ing,  can  bear  a  great  deal  of  fatigue.  The  pipe 
dance  is  one  of  the  most  animated  amusements. 

Basil.  Oh  !  do  tell  us  about  the  pipe  dance. 

Hunter.  In  the  ground  in  the  centre  of  the  vil 
lage  a  fire  is  lighted,  and  a  party  assemble  round 
it ;  every  one  smoking  his  pipe,  as  he  sits  on  his 
buffalo  skin,  as  though  nothing  was  farther  from 
his  thoughts  than  dancing.  While  these  are 
whiffing  away  at  a  distance  from  the  fire,  a  mys 
tery  man,  who  sits  nearer  to  the  flame,  smokes  a 
longer  pipe,  grunting  at  the  same  time  a  kind  of 
tune.  Suddenly  is  heard  the  rub-a-dub  of  a  drum, 
or  the  beat  of  some  other  instrument  of  the  same 
kind  ;  when  instantly  starts  to  his  feet  one  of  the 
smokers,  hopping  like  a  parched  pea,  spinning 
round  like  a  top,  and  starting  and  jumping,  at 
every  beat  of  the  drum,  in  a  very  violent  manner. 
In  this  way  he  goes  round  the  smokers,  seemingly 
threatening  them  all,  and  at  last  pounces  upon 
one  of  them,  whom  he  compels  to  dance  in  the 
same  manner  as  himself.  The  new  dancer  acts 
his  part  like  the  former  one,  capering  and  jump 
ing  round  the  smokers,  and  compelling  another 
to  join  them.  Thus  the  dance  continues,  till  all  of 
them  are  occupied,  when  the  hopping,  the  jumping, 
the  frightful  postures  into  which  they  throw  them 
selves,  together  with  the  grunting,  growling, 
singing,  hooting  and  hallooing,  are  beyond  all 
belief.  There  are  few  dances  of  the  Indians 
more  full  of  wild  gestures  and  unrestrained  turbu 
lence  than,  the  pipe  dance. 

Basil.  I  hope  you  have  a  good  many  more 
dances  to  tell  us  of 


THE    INDIANS    OF 

Hunter.  The  green  corn  dance  of  the  Minatareea 
must  be  described  to  you.  Among  Indian  tribes, 
green  corn  is  a  great  luxury,  and  the  time  when 
it  ripens  is  a  time  of  rejoicing.  Dances  and  songs 
of  thanksgiving  are  abundant ;  and  the  people 
give  way  not  only  to  feasting,  but  also  to  gluttony  ; 
so  that  often,  by  abusing  the  abundance  in  their 
possession,  they  bring  upon  themselves  the  mise 
ries  of  want.  The  Indians  have  very  little  fore 
thought.  To  enjoy  the  present,  and  to  trust  the 
future  to  the  Great  Spirit,  is  their  constant  practice. 

Austin.  How  long  does  the  green  corn  dance 
last  ? 

Hunter.  For  eight  or  ten  days,  during  which 
time  there  is  the  most  unbounded  prodigality. 
Among  many  of  the  tribes,  the  black  drink,  a 
very  powerful  medicine,  is  taken  two  or  three 
days  before  the  feast,  that  the  green  corn  may  be 
eaten  with  a  sharp  appetite  and  an  empty  stomach. 

Brian.  In  what  way  does  the  green  corn  dance 
begin  ? 

Hunter.  As  soon  as  the  corn  is  in  a  proper 
state — and  this  is  decided  by  the  mystery  men — 
runners  are  despatched  through  the  village,  that 
all  may  assemble  on  the  following  day  to  the  dance 
and  the  feast.  Sufficient  corn  for  the  required 
purpose  is  gathered  by  the  women,  who  have  the 
fields  under  their  care,  and  a  fire  is  made,  over 
which  a  kettle,  with  green  corn  in  it,  is  kept 
boiling;  while  medicine  men,  whose  bodies  are 
strangely  painted,  or  bedaubed  with  clay  of  a 
white  colour,  dance  round  it  in  very  uncouth 
attitudes,  with  corn-stalks  in  their  hands. 


NORTH   AMERICA.  177 

Jlustin.  I  dare  say,  while  the  pot  is  boiling, 
they  are  all  longing  to  begin  the  feast. 

Hunter.  The  first  kettle-full  is  not  for  them 
selves,  it  is  an  offering  to  the  Great  Spirit.  There 
are  many  customs  among  the  Indians  which  can 
not  but  bring  the  Jews  to  our  remembrance  ;  and 
this  offering  of  the  first  green  corn  does  so  ver^i 
forcibly.  The  medicine  men  round  the  fire  shake 
their  rattles,  hold  up  their  corn-stalks,  and  sing 
loudly  a  song  of  thanksgiving,  till  the  corn  is  suf 
ficiently  boiled ;  it  is  then  put  upon  the  fire  and 
consumed  to  a  cinder.  Before  this  offering  is 
made,  none  of  the  Indians  would  dare  to  taste  of 
the  luxurious  fare  ;  but,  afterwards,  their  appetite 
is  unrestrained. 

Austin.  Then  they  begin  to  boil  more  corn,  I 
suppose. 

Hunter.  A  fresh  fire  is  made,  a  fresh  kettle  of 
corn  is  prepared,  and  the  dance  goes  on ;  the 
medicine  men  keeping  close  to  the  fire,  and  the 
others  capering  and  snouting  in  a  larger  circle, 
their  energy  increasing  as  the  feast  approaches 
nearer  and  nearer.  The  chiefs  and  medicine  men 
then  sit  down  to  the  feast,  followed  by  the  whole 
tribe,  keeping  up  their  festivity  day  after  day,  till 
the  corn-field  has  little  more  grain  remaining  in  it 
than  what  is  necessary  for  seed.  You  have  heard 
the  saying,  "  Wilful  waste  brings  woful  want." 
The  truth  of  this  saying  is  often  set  forth,  as  well 
in  civilized  life  as  among  the  Indians. 

Basil.  I  wonder  what  dance  will  comr  next. 

Hunter.  I  need  not  describe  many  otners.  If 
I  run  rapidly  through  two  or  three,  and  dwell  a 


178  THE   INDIANS   OF 

little  on  the  bear  dance  and  the  war  dance,  you 
will  then  have  heard  quite  enough  about  dances. 
The  scalp  dance  is  in  use  among  the  Sioux  or 
Dahcotas.  It  is  rather  a  fearful  exhibition ;  for 
women,  in  the  centre  of  a  circle,  hold  up  and 
wave  about  the  scalps  which  have  been  torn  from 
the  slaughtered  foes  of  the  tribe,  while  the  war 
riors  draw  around  them  in  the  most  furious  atti 
tudes,  brandishing  their  war-clubs,  uttering  the 
most  hideous  howls  and  screams.  The  Indians 
have  many  good  qualities,  but  cruelty  seems  tj 
mingle  with  their  very  nature.  Every  thing  is 
done  among  them  that  can  be  done,  to  keep  alive 
the  desire  to  shed  blood.  The  noblest  act  a  red 
man  can  perform,  and  that  which  he  thinks  the 
most  useful  to  his  tribe  and  the  most  acceptable 
to  the  Great  Spirit,  is  to  destroy  an  enemy,  and  to 
bear  away  his  scalp  as  a  trophy  of  his  valour.  If 
it  were  only  for  this  one  trait  in  the  Indian  cha 
racter,  even  this  would  be  sufficient  to  convince 
every  humane  person,  and  especially  every  Chris 
tian,  of  the  duty  and  great  advantage  of  spreading 
among  them  the  merciful  principles  of  Christian 
ity.  A  holy  influence  is  necessary  to  teach  the 
untutored  red  man  to  forgive  his  enemies,  to  sub 
due  his  anger,  to  abate  his  pride,  and  to  stay  his 
hand  in  shedding  human  blood.  The  new  com 
mandment  must  be  put  in  his  heart :  "  That  ye 
love  one  another."  The  Mandan  boys  used  to 
join  in  a  sham  scalp  dance,  in  which  they  con 
ducted  themselves  just  like  warriors  returning  from 
a  victorious  enterprise  against  their  enemies. 
Basil.  They  are  all  sadly  fond  of  fighting. 


NORTH   AMERICA.  179 

Hunter.  In  the  brave  dance,  of  the  Ojibbeways, 
there  is  plenty  of  swaggering  :  the  dai.cers  seem 
as  if  they  knew  not  how  to  be  proud  enough  of 
their  warlike  exploits.  The  eagle  dance,  among 
the  Choctaws,  is  an  elegant  amusement  ;  f.nd  the 
snow-shoe  dance,  of  the  Ojibbeways,  is  a  very 
amusing  one. 

Brian.  Please  to  tell  us  about  them  both. 

Hunter.  I  must  not  stay  to  describe  them  par 
ticularly:  it  will  be  enough  to  say,  that,  in  the 
one,  the  dancers  are  painted  white,  and  that  they 
move  about  waving  in  their  hands  the  tail  of  the 
eagle  ;  in  the  other — which  is  performed  on  the 
first  fall  of  snow,  in  honour  of  the  Great  Spirit — 
the  dancers  wear  snow-shoes,  which,  projecting 
far  before  and  behind  their  feet,  give  (hem  in  the 
dance  a  most  strange  and  laughable  appearance. 

Brian.  I  should  very  much  like  to  see  that 
dance  ;  there  is  nothing  cruel  in  it  at  all. 

Basil.  And  I  should  like  to  see  the  eagle  dance, 
for  there  is  no  cruelty  in  that  either. 

Hunter.  The  straw  dance  is  a  Sioux  dance  of 
a  very  curious  description.  Loose  straws  are  tied 
to  the  bodies  of  naked  children  ;  these  straws  are 
then  set  on  fire,  and  the  children  are  required  to 
dance,  without  uttering  any  expression  of  pain. 
This  practice  is  intended  to  make  them  hardy, 
that  they  may  become  the  better  warriors. 

Basil.  That  is  one  of  the  strangest  dances  of  all. 

Hunter.  I  will  now  say  a  little  about  the  bear 
dance,  and  the  war  dance.  The  bear  dance  is 
performed  by  the  Sioux  before  they  set  off  on  a 
bear-hunt.  If  the  bear  dance  were  left  wiper- 


180 


THE   INDIANS   GF 


formed,  they  would  hardly  hope  for  success.  The 
bear  spirit,  if  this  honour  were  not  paid  to  him, 
would  be  offended,  and  would  give  them  no  suc 
cess  in  the  chase. 

Justin.  What!  do  the  Sioux  think  there  is  a 
Bear  spirit ? 

!  Hunter.  Yes.     The  number  of  spirits  of  one 

:md  or  another,  believed  in  by  the  Indians,  is  very 

:reat.     In  the  bear  dance,  the  principal  performer 

Has  a  bear-skin  over  him,  the  head  of  it  hanging 


ore*  his  head,   and  the  paws  over  his  hands. 

Jthers  have  masks  of  bears'  faces  ;  and  all  of 

them,  throughout  the  dance,  imitate  the  actions  of 

They  stoop    down,   they   dangle    their 

hanUs,  and  make  frightful  noises,  beside  sinoino 

to  ther-Bear  spirit.     If  you   can  imagine   twenty 


NORTH   AMERICA.  181 

bears  dancing  to  the  music  of  the  rattle,  whistle, 
and  drum,  making  odd  gambols,  and  yelling  out 
tke  most  frightful  noises,  you  will  have  some  no 
tion  of  the  bear  dance. 

Brian.  Now  for  the  war  dance :  that  is  come 
at  last. 

Hunter.  It  is  hardly  possible  to  conceive  a 
more  exciting  spectacle  than  that  of  the  war  dance 
among  the  Sioux.  It  exhibits  Indian  manners 
on  the  approach  of  war.  As,  among  civilized 
people,  soldiers  are  raised  either  by  recruiting  or 
other  means ;  so,  among  the  Indians,  something 
like  recruiting  prevails.  The  red  pipe  is  sent 
through  the  tribe,  and  every  one  who  draws  a 
whiff  up  the  stem  thereby  declares  he  is  willing 
to  join  the  war  party.  The  warriors  then  assemble 
together,  painted  with  vermilion  and  other  colours, 
and  dressed  in  their  war  clothes,  with  their 
weapons  and  their  war-eagle  head-dresses. 

Austin.  What  a  sight  that  must  be ! 

Hunter.  When  the  mystery  man  has  stuck  up 
a  red  post  in  the  ground,  and  begun  to  beat  his 
drum,  the  warriors  advance,  one  after  another, 
brandishing  their  war-clubs,  and  striking  the  red 
post  a  violent  blow,  while  the  mystery  man  sings 
their  death-song.  When  the  warriors  have  struck 
the  post,  they  blacken  their  faces,  and  all  set  to  danc 
ing  around  it.  The  shrill  war-whoop  is  screamed 
aloud,  and  frantic  gestures  and  frightful  yells  show, 
but  too  plainly,  that  there  will  be  very  little  mercy 
extended  to  the  enemy  that  falls  into  their  hands. 

Brian.  That  war  dance  \jfould  make  mn 
tremble. 


182  THE    INDIANS    OF 

Hunter.  The  Mandan  boys  used  to  assemble  al 
the  back  of  their  village,  every  morning,  as  soon 
as  the  sun  was  in  the  skies,  to  practise  sham 
fighting.  Under  the  guidance  and  direction  of 
their  ablest  and  most  courageous  braves  and  war 
riors,  they  were  instructed  in  all  the  mysteries  of 
war.  The  preparations,  the  ambush,  the  surprise, 
the  combat  and  the  retreat,  were  made  familiar 
to  them.  Thus  were  they  bred  up  from  their 
youth  to  delight  in  warfare,  and  to  long  for  oppor 
tunities  of  using  their  tomahawks  and  scalping- 
knives  against  their  foes. 

When  you  next  come  to  see  me,  I  will  give 
you  an  account  of  the  cru$l  customs  of  the  mystery 
lodge  of  the  Mandans ;  with  the  hope  that  it  will 
increase  your  abhorrence  of  cruelty  and  blood 
shed,  render  you  more  than  ever  thankful  for  the 
blessings  of  peace,  and  more  anxious  to  extend 
them  all  over  the  earth.  The  hardest  of  all  les 
sons  now,  to  a  red  man,  is,  as  I  have  before  inti 
mated,  to  forgive  his  enemies ;  but  when,  through 
Divine  mercy,  his  knowledge  is  extended,  and 
his  heart  opened  to  receive  the  truths  of  the  gospel, 
he  will  be  enabled  to  understand,  to  love,  and  to 
practise  the  injunction  of  the  Saviour,  "  Love 
your  enemies,  bless  them  that  curse  you,  do  good 
to  them  that  hate  you,  and  pray  for  them  which 
despitefully  use  you,  and  persecute  you." 


NORTH    AMERICA 


Interior  of  a  Mystery  Lodge. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

IT  was  well  for  Austin  Edwards  and  his  brothers, 
that  their  acquaintance  with  their  friend  the 
hunter  commenced  during  one  of  their  holidays, 
so  that  they  were  enabled  to  pay  him  a  visit  more 
frequently  than  they  otherwise  could  have  done. 
The  life  led  by  the  hunter  would  have  been  far 
too  solitary  for  most  people  ;  but  his  long  wan 
derings  in  the  extended  prairies,  and  his  long 
sojournings  in  places  remote  from  society,  had 
rendered  the  quiet  tranquillity  of  country  scenes 
pleasant  to  him :  yet,  still,  as  variety  has  its 
charms,  it  afforded  him  a  pleasant  change,  when 
ever  the  three  brothers  visited  him. 

In  his  younger  days,  he  had  entered  on  the  life 
of  a  hunter  and  trapjrer  with  much  ardour.  To 


184  THE    INDIANS    OF 

pursue  the  buffalo  (or,  more  properly  speaking, 
the  bison)  of  the  prairie,  the  deer,  and  other 
animals,  and  to  mingle  with  the  different  tribes  of 
Indians,  was  his  delight.  With  wild  animals  and 
wild  men  he  became  familiar,  and  even  the  very 
dangers  that  beset  his  path  gave  an  interest  to  his 
pursuits :  but  his  youth  was  gone,  his  manhood 
was  declining,  and  the  world  that  he  once  looked 
upon  as  an  abiding  dwelling-place,  he  now  re 
garded  as  the  pathway  to  a  better  home. 

Time  was,  when  to  urge  the  arrow  or  the  spear 
into  the  heart  of  the  flying  prey  for  mere  diversion, 
and  to  join  in  the  wild  war-whoop  of  contending 
tribes,  was  congenial  to  his  spirit ;  but  his  mind 
had  been  sobered,  so  that  now  to  practise  for 
bearance  and  kindness  was  far  more  pleasant  than 
to  indulge  in  cruelty  and  revenge.  He  looked  on 
mankind  as  one  great  family,  which  ought  to 
dwell  in  brotherly  love ;  and  he  regarded  the 
animal  creation  as  given  by  a  heavenly  Hand, 
for  the  use,  and  not  the  abuse,  of  man. 

In  relating  the  scenes  in  which  he  had  mingled 
in  earlier  years,  he  was  aware  that  he  could  not 
avoid  calling  up,  in  some  measure,  in  the  youth 
ful  hearts  of  his  auditors,  the  natural  desire  to  see 
what  was  new  and  strange  and  wonderful,  with- 
_out  reflecting  a  moment  on  the  good  or  the  evil 
of  the  thing  set  before  them :  but  he  endeavoured 
to  blend  with  his  descriptions  such  remarks  as 
would  lead  them  to  love  what  was  right  and  to 
hate  what  was  wrong.  Regarding  the  Indian 
tribes  as  an  injured  people,  he  sought  to  Get  before 
his  young  friends  the  wrongs  and  oppressions 


NORTH    AMERICA.  185 

practised  on  the  red  man  ;  that  the)  might  sym 
pathize  with  bis  trials,  and  feel  interested  for  his 
welfare. 

The  few  words  that  had  dropped  from  his  lips, 
about  the  ordeal  through  which  the  Indians  pass 
before  they  are  allowed  to  join  war-parties,  had 
awakened  Austin's  curiosity.  Nor  was  it  long 
before,  seated  with  his  brothers  in  the  cottage,  he 
was  listening  to  the  whole  account.  "  Please  to 
begin  at  the  very  beginning,"  said  he,  "  and  I 
shall  not  lose  a  single  word." 

Hunter.  The  Sioux,  the  Crows,  the  Sacs,  the 
Ojibbeways,  the  Camanchees,  and  the  Chippe- 
was,  all  exhibit  astonishing  proofs  of  patience  and 
endurance  under  pain;  but  in  none  of  the  tribes 
has  ever  such  torture  been  inflicted,  or  such 
courage  witnessed,  in  enduring  torment,  as  among 
the  Mandans. 

Brian.     Now  we  shall  hear. 

Hunter.  The  Mandans,  who,  as  I  have  already 
told  you,  lived,  when  I  was  a  hunter,  on  the 
Upper  Missouri,  held  a  mystery  lodge  every  year; 
and  this  was  indeed  a  very  solemn  gathering  of 
the  tribe.  I  was  never  present  in  the  lodge  on 
this  occasion,  but  will  give  you  the  description 
of  an  eye-witness. 

tBasil.  Why  did  they  get  together  ?     What  did" 
they  do  ? 

jHunter.  You  shall  hear.  The  mystery  lodge, 
or  it  may  be  called  the  religious  meeting,  was 
held,  first,  to  appease  the  wrath  and  secure  the 
protection  of  the  good  and  the  evil  spirits ;  se 
condly,  to  celebrate  the  great  flood,  which  they 


186  THE    INDIANS    OF 

believed  took  place  a  long  time  ago  ;  thirdly,  tc 
perform  the  buffalo  dance,  to  bring  buffaloes ;  and, 
fourthly,  to  try  the  strength,  courage  and  endu 
rance  of  their  young  men,  that  they  might  know 
who  were  the  most  worthy  among  them,  and  the 
most  to  be  relied  on  in  war-parties. 

Austin.  How  came  the  Mandans  to  know  any 
thing  about  the  flood,  if  they  have  no  Bibles  ? 

Hunter.  That  I  cannot  tell.  Certain  it  is,  that 
they  had  a  large,  high  tub,  called  the  Great  Canoe, 
in  the  centre  of  their  village,  set  up  in  comme- 
poration  of  the  flood  ;  and  that  they  held  the 
mystery  lodge  when  the  willow  leaves  were  in 
their  prime  under  the  river  bank,  because,  they 
said,  a  bird  had  brought  a  willow  bough  in  full 
leaf  to  the  Great  Canoe  in  the  flood. 

Austin.  Why,  it  is  just  as  if  they  had  read  the 
Bible. 

Hunter.  The  fact  of  the  deluge  (however  they 
came  by  it)  had  undoubtedly  been  handed  down 
among  them  by  tradition  for  many  generations: 
but  I  must  go  on  with  my  account  of  the  Mandan 
gathering.  The  mystery  lodge  was  opened  by  a 
strange-looking  man,  whom  no  one  seemed  tc 
know,  and  who  came  from  the  prairie.  This  odd 
man  called  for  some  edge-tool  at  every  wigwam 
in  the  village ;  and  all  these  tools,  at  the  end  of 
the  ceremonies,  were  cast  into  the  river  from  a 
high  bank  ;  as  an  offering,  I  suppose,  to  the  Water 
spirit.  After  opening  the  mystery  lodge,  and  ap 
pointing  a  medicine  man  to  preside,  he  once  more 
disappeared  on  the  prairie. 

Brian.     What  an  odd  thing! 


NORTH    AMERICA.  187 

Hunter.  Twenty  or  thirty  young  men  were 
in  the  lodge,  candidates  for  reputation  among  the 
tribe,  who  had  presented  themselves  to  undergo 
the  prescribed  tortures.  As  they  reclined  in  the 
lodge,  every  one  had  hung  up  over  his  head,  his 
shield,  his  bow  and  quiver,  and  his  medicine  bag. 
The  young  men  were  painted  different  colours. 
The  old  mystery  man  appointed  to  superintend 
the  ceremonies  sat  by  a  fire  in  the  middle  of  the 
lodge,  smoking  leisurely  with  his  medicine  pipe, 
in  honour  of  the  Great  Spirit ;  and  there  he  sat 
for  four  days,  and  as  many  nights,  during  which 
the  young  men  neither  tasted  food  nor  drink,  nor 
were  they  allowed  to  close  their  eyes. 

Basil.    It  was  enough  to  kill  them  all. 

Hunter.  On  the  floor  of  the  lodge  were  buffalo 
and  human  skulls,  and  sacks  filled  with  water, 
shaped  like  tortoises,  with  sticks  by  them.  Dur 
ing  each  of  the  four  days,  the  buffalo  dance  was 
performed  over  and  over  again,  by  Indians,  painted, 
and  wearing  over  them  whole  buffalo  skins,  with 
tails  and  hoofs  and  horns ;  while  in  their  hands 
they  carried  rattles,  and  long,  thin,  white  wands, 
and  bore  on  their- backs  bundles  of  green  boughs 
of  the  willow.  Some  of  the  dancers  were  painted 
red,  to  represent  the-  day ;  and  others  black,  with 
stars,  to  resemble  the  night.  During  these  dances, 
which  took  place  round  the  Great  Canoe,  the  tops 
of  the  wigwams  were  crowded  with  people. 

Austin.  I  want  to  hear  about  the  young  In 
dians  in  the  lodge,  arid  that  old  fellow,  the 
mystery  man. 

Hunter.     The  sroerstitious  and  cruel  practices 


188  THE    INDIANS    OF 

of  the  mystery  lodge  are  too  fearful  to  dwell  up 
on.  1  shall  only  just  glance  at  them,  that  you 
may  know,  in  some  degree,  the  kind  of  trials  the 
young  Indians  have  to  endure.  While  the  dances 
were  going  on,  mystery  men,  inside  the  lodge, 
were  beating  on  the  water  sacks  with  sticks,  and 
animating  the  young  men  to  act  courageously, 
telling  them  that  the  Great  Spirit  was  sure  to  sup 
port  them.  Splints,  or  wooden  skewrers,  wrere 
then  run  through  the  flesh  on  the  back  and  breasts 
of  the  young  warriors,  and  they  were  hoisted  up, 
with  cords  fastened  to  the  splints,  towards  the  top 
of  the  lodge.  Not  a  muscle  of  their  features  ex 
pressed  fear  or  pain. 

Basil.     Shocking!  shocking! 

Brian.     That  must  be  horrible  ! 

Hunter.  After  this,  other  splints  were  run 
through  their  arms,  thighs  and  legs ;  and  on 
these  were  hung  their  shields,  arms  and  medicine 
bags.  In  this  situation  they  were  taunted,  and 
turned  round  with  poles  till  they  fainted  ;  and 
when,  on  being  let  down  again,  they  recovered, 
those  wrho  had  superior  hardihood  would  crawl 
to  the  buffalo  skull  in  the  centre  of  the  lodge,  and 
lay  upon  it  the  little  finger  of  their  left  hand  to 
be  chopped  off;  and  even  the  loss  of  a  second  or 
third  finger  is  counted  evidence  of  superior  bold 
ness  and  devotion.  After  this,  they  were  hurried 
along  between  strong  and  fleet  runners  :  this  was 
called  "  the  last  race,"  round  and  round  the  Great 
Canoe,  till  the  weight  of  their  arms  having  pulled 
the  splints  from  their  bodies,  they  once  more 
fainted,  and  in  this  state,  apparently  dead,  they 


NORTH    AMERICA.  189 

were  left  to  themselves,  to  live  or  die,  as  the 
Great  Spirit  might  determine. 

Austin.  I  should  think  that  hardly  any  of  them 
would  ever  come  to  life  again. 

Hunter.  Nor  would  they,  under  common  cir 
cumstances  ;  but,  when  we  consider  that  these 
young  men  had  fasted  for  four  days,  and  lost  much 
blood  in  their  tortures,  there  was  not  much  danger 
of  inflammation  from  their  wounds,  and  their 
naturally  strong  constitutions  enabled  them  to  re 
cover.  All  these  tortures  were  willingly  under 
taken  ;  nor  would  any  one  of  those  who  endured 
them,  on  any  account  whatever,  have  evaded 
them.  To  propitiate  the  Great  Spirit,  and  to 
stand  well  in  the  estimation  of  his  own  tribe,  are 
the  two  highest  objects  in  the  mind  of  an  Indian. 


The  day  after  that  on  which  Austin  and  his 
brothers  heard  from  the  hunter  the  account  of  the 
mystery  lodge,  and  the  sufferings  of  the  young 
Mandans  before  they  were  thought  equal  to  engage 
in  a  war-party,  two  or  three  little  accidents  oc 
curred.  In  the  first  place,  Austin,  in  making  a 
new  bow,  cut  a  deep  gash  in  his  finger :  and,  in 
the  next,  Brian  and  Basil,  in  scrambling  among 
the  hedges  in  quest  of  straight  twigs  for  arrows, 
met  with  their  mishaps ;  for  Brian  got  a  thorn  in 
his  thumb,  while  Basil  had  a  roll  down  the  bank 
into  a  dry  diieh. 

It  is  always  a  good  sign  in  young  people,  when 
they  put  into  piactice  any  real  or  supposed  good 
quality  of  which  they  hear  or  r-  ^1.  The  patience 


190 


THE    INDIANS    OF 


A  War 


and  endurance  of  the  young  Mandans  bad  called 
torth  high  commendations  from  Austin,  and  it  was 
evident,  in  the  affair  of  the  cut  finger,  that  he 
made  a  struggle,  and  a  successful  one  too,  in  con 
trolling  his  feelings.  With  an  air  of  resolution 
he  wrapped  the  end  of  his  pocket  handkerchief 
tightly  round  the  wound,  and  passed  off  the  oc 
currence  as  a  matter  of  no  moment.  Not  a  word 
escaped  little  Basil  when  he  rolled  info  the  ditch  ; 
nor  did  Brian  utter  a  single  "  oh !"  when  the 
thorn  was  extracted  from  his  thumb. 

'l  You  may  depend  upon  it,"  said  Austin,  after 
some  conversation  with  Brian  and  Basil,  on  the 
subject  of  the  young  Mandans,  «  that  the  next 
time  we  see  the  hunter,  we  shall  hear  something 
about  the  way  in  which  red  men  go  to  war.  The 
sham  fight,  and  the  preparation  of  the  young  war 
riors,  will  be  followed  by  some  account  of  their 


MI    AMERICA. 


battles  "     In  this  supposition  he  was  quite  c 
reef  for,  when  they  next  veiled  the  cottage,  the 
hunter  proposed  to  speak  a  i\ttle  about  < 
and  'encarnornent  sand   alarms  and  surprises   and 
attack  conversation  was  carried  on  m  ti 

win"  manner.  . 

jfeirf£     How  do  the  Indians  poison  their  ar- 

T*  fixes 

fer.     By  dipping  the  point  of': 

head  into  the  poison  prepared. 

arrow,  as  I  told  you,  is  put  on  Terydightl) 

that  it   remains  in  the  wound  wfc  ^row  i< 

wi'hdrawn.  .       .  ,vv    , 

re  do  they  get  their  poison  r  A\  hat 

is  it  made  of? 

doubt  ft'.-:  "«*"» 

the  mariner  of  preparing  poison  anr 

ent  tribes.     But,   usually, 
f    deadl'. 

ed  with  the  rnor 

tal  p  ,nake»  and  ants.     This  is  prepare 

wi!;  strength  is  usually 

a  lix      .  er  cold-blooded,  si 

animal.     IMS  rar/id   in  to  foi>^.ai 

be  wounded  with  a  poisoned  weapon,  it  dies  in  a 
few  minutes  :  a  cat  di-s  in  five  minutes  ;  a  to 
•inf  :  and  a  horse,  in  •  rars  a 

def  rt  time   after  they  are  thus 

wound*!.     If.  then,  horses  an'; 
dev  e   [oison,   no  wo-  men 

should  be  unable  to  en 

Bef  determined  ot. 

a    |  :d  with   grea  -^y. 


192  THE   INDIANS   OF 

chiefs,  and  braves,  and  medicine  men  are  assem 
bled.  Then  the  enlisting  takes  place,  which  I 
have  already  described  ;  the  war  dance  is  engaged 
in,  and  weapons  are  examined  and  repaired.  The 
chief,  arrayed  in  full  dress,  leads  on  his  band. 
They  march  with  silence  and  .rapidity,  and  encamp 
with  great  caution,  appointing  sentinels  in  every 
necessary  direction.  Thus,  lurking,  skulking 
and  marching,  they  reach  the  place  of  their  des 
tination.  Another  war  council  is  held,  to  decide 
on  the  mode  of  attack  ;  and  then,  with  rifles,  war- 
clubs,  scalpirig-knives  and  bows  and  poisonea 
arrows,  they  fall  upon  their  unsuspecting  foes. 

Brian.  It  is  very  sad  to  fight  with  such  wea 
pons  as  poisoned  arrows. 

Hunter.  It  is  sad  to  fight  with  any  kind  of 
weapons ;  but,  when  once  anger  enters  the  heart, 
and  the  desire  to  shed  blood  is  called  forth,  no 
mode  is  thought  too  cruel  that  will  assist  in  obtain 
ing  a  victory.  The  continual  warfare  that  is 
carried  on  between  Indian  tribes  must  be  afflict 
ive  to  every  humane  and  Christian  spirit.  None 
but  the  God  of  peace  can  destroy  the  love  of  war 
in  the  hearts  of  either  red  or  white  men. 

Indians  fight  in  a  way  very  different  from  civi 
lized  people  ;  for  they  depend  more  on  cunning, 
stratagem  and  surprise,  than  on  skill  and  courage. 
Almost  all  their  attacks  are  made  under  cover  of 
night,  or  v  hen  least  expected.  A  war-party  will 
frequently  ?o  a  great  distance,  to  fall  upon  a  vil 
lage  or  an  encampment  on  a  quarter  most  acces 
sible.  To  effect  their  object,  they  will  hide  for 
any  length  of  time  in  the  forest,  sleep  in  the  long 


NORTH    AMERICA. 


193 


m-ass,  lurk  in  the  ravine,  and  skulk  at  nightfall 
around  the  place  to  be  attacked. 

Austin.     Did  you  ever  go  out  with  the  Indians 

{°  Hunter.  Yes.  For  some  time  I  was  treated 
very  hospitably  among  the  Crows,  near  the  Rocky 
Mountains  ;  and  as  they  had  determined  to  go  on 
one  of  their  war-parties,  which  I  could  not  pre 
vent,  I  resolved  to  go  along  with  tnem,  to  wale 
their  way  of  proceeding. 

Austin.  Do  tell  us  all  about  it.  _ 
Hunter.  It  was  a  thoughtless  and  foolish  attair, 
when  I  was  young  and  rash ;  but  I  wished  to  be 
a  spectator  of  all  their  customs.  It  was,  as  1  said, 
one  of  those  foolish  undertakings  into  which  the 
ardour  of  my  disposition  led  me,  and  for  which  1 
was  very  near  paying  the  price  of  my  lite.  A 
council  was  held,  wherein  it  was  decided  to  senc 
a  strong  war-party  on  foot  to  surprise  a  Blackfo 
village1.  Every  stratagem  had  been  used  to  lull 
the  enemy  into  security. 

Brian.  Ay  ;  that  is  just  like  the  Indians 
Hunter.  The  red  pipe  was  sent  through  the 
tribe  for  the  warriors  to  smoke  with  it,  much  atte 
the  manner  of  the  Sioux  ;  the  red  post  was  struck, 
and  the  braves  and  attendants  painted  their  faces. 
When  the  plan  of  attack  was  agreed  on,  every 
warrior  looked  to  his  weapons ;  neither  bow  nor 
arrow,  war-club  nor  scalping-knife,  was  left  un- 
examined.  There  was  an  earnestness  in  their  pre 
paration,  as  though  'they  were  all  animated  with 
one  spirit. 

It  was  some  time  after  sundown,  that  we  left 


194  THE   INDIANS   OF 

the  village  at  a  quick  pace.  Runners  were  sem 
out  in  all  directions,  to  give  notice  of  an  enemy. 
We  hastened  along  a  deep  valley,  rounded  the 
base  of  a  bluff,  and  entered  the  skirt  of  a  forest, 
following  each  other  in  files  beneath  the  shadowy 
branches.  We  then  passed  through  some  deep 
grass,  and  stole  silently  along  several  defiles  and 
ravines.  The  nearer  we  drew  to  the  Blackfoot 
village,  the  more  silently  and  stealthily  we  pro 
ceeded.  Like  the  panther,  creeping  with  noise 
less  feet  on  his  prey,  we  stole  along  the  intricate 
pathways  of  the  prairie  bottoms,  the  forest,  the 
skirt  of  the  river  and  the  hills  and  bluffs.  At  last 
we  made  a  halt,  just  as  the  moon  emerged  from 
behind  a  cloud. 

Austin.  Then  there  was  terrible  work,  I  dare  say. 

Hunter.  It  was  past  midnight,  and  the  Black- 
foot  village  was  wrapped  in  slumber.  The  Crow 
warriors  dispersed  themselves  to  attack  the  village 
at  the  same  instant  from  different  quarters.  The 
leader  had  on  his  full  dress,  his  medicine  bag,  and 
Hs  head-dress  of  war-eagle  plumes.  All  was 
hushed  in  silence,  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the 
grave  ;  when  suddenly  the  shrill  war- whistle  of 
the  Crow  chief  rung  through  the  Blackfoot  lodges, 
and  the  wild  war-whoop  burst  at  once  from  a 
hundred  throats.  The  chief  was  in  the  thickest 
of  the  fight.  -There  was  no  pity  for  youth  or  age  ; 
the  war-club  spared  not,  arid  the  tomahawk  was 
merciless.  Yelling  like  fiends,  the  Crow  war 
riors  fled  from  hut  to  hut,  from  victim  to  victim. 
Neither  women  nor  children  were  spared. 

Brian.  Dreviful!  dreadful' 


NORTH    AMERICA.  195 

Hunter.  Though  taken  thus  by  surprise,  the 
Blackfoot  braves,  in  a  little  time,  began  to  collect 
together,  clutching  their  weapons  firmly,  and  rush 
ing  on  their  enemies,  determined  to  avenge  their 
slaughtered  friends.  The  panic  into  which  they 
had  been  thrown  subsided,  and,  like  men  accus 
tomed  to  danger,  they  stood  not  only  in  self- 
defence,  but  attacked  their  foes  with  fury. 

Austin.  I  wonder  thaUevery  one  in  the  Black- 
foot  village  was  not  killed  ! 

Hunter.  In  civilized  life,  this  would  very  likely 
have  been  the  case;  but  in  a  savage  state,  men 
from  their  childhood  are  trained  'ip  to  peril  They 
may  lie  down  to  slumber  on  their  couches  of  skins, 
but  their  weapons  are  near  at  hand  ;  and  though 
it  be  the  midnight  hour  when  an  attack  is  made 
on  them,  and  though,  awakened  by  the  confusion, 
they  hear  nothing  but  the  war-cry  of  their  enemy, 
they  spring  to  their  feet,  seize  their  arms,  and  rush 
on  to  meet  their  foes.  It  was  thus  with  the  Black- 
foot  braves.  Hand  to  hand,  and  foot  to  foot,  they 
met  their  assailants ;  brave  was  opposed  to  brave  ; 
and  the  horrid  clash  of  the  \var-club  and  the  mur 
derous  death-grapple  succeeded  each  other.  Even 
if  I  could  describe  the  horrors  of  such  a  scene,  it 
would  not  be  right  to  do  so.  As  I  was  gazing  on 
the  conflict,  I  suddenly  received  a  blow  that  struck 
me  bleeding  to  the  ground.  You  may  see  the  scar 
on  my  temple  still.  The  confusion  was  at  its 
height,  or  else  ipy  scalp  would  have  been  taken. 

Brian.   How  did  you  get  away  ? 

Hunter.  Stunned  as  I  was,  i  recovered  my 
senses  before  a  retreat  took  place,  and  was  just 


196  THE   INDIANS   OF 

able  to  effect  my  escape.  The  Crows  slaughtered 
many  of  their  enemies ;  but  the  Blackfoot  war 
riors  and  braves  were  at  last  too  strong  for  them, 
Then  was  heard  the  shrill  whistle  that  sounded  a 
retreat.  With  a  dozen  scalps  in  their  possession, 
the  Crows  sought  the  shelter  of  the  forest,  and 
afterwards  regained  their  own  village. 

Austin.  Are  the  Crow  tribe  or  the  Blackfoot 
tribe  the  strongest? 

Hunter.  The  Crow  Indians,  as  I  told  you,  are 
taller  and  more  elegant  men  than  the  Blackfeet ; 
but  the  latter  have  broader  chests  and  shoulders. 
The  Blackfeet,  some  think,  take  their  name  from 
the  circumstance  of  their  wearing  black,  or  very 
dark  brown  leggings  and  mocassins.  Whether, 
as  a  people,  the  Crows  or  the  Blackfeet  are  the 
strongest,  there  is  a  diversity  of  opinion.  The 
Blackfeet  are  almost  always  at  war  with  the 
Crows. 

Austin.  What  battling  there  must  be  among 
them ! 

Hunter.  Their  war-parties  are  very  numerous, 
and  their  encampments  are  very  large  :  and,  whe 
ther  seen  in  the  day,  in  the  midst  of  their  lodges ; 
or  at  night,  wrapped  in  their  robes,  with  their 
arms  in  their  hands,  ready  to  leap  up  if  attacked 
by  an  enemy;  they  form  a  striking  spectacle, 
Sometimes,  in  a  night  encampment,  a  false  alarm 
takes  place.  A  prowling  bear,  or  a  stray  horse, 
is  taken  for  a  foe  ;  and  sometimes  a  real  alarm  is 
occasioned  by  spies  crawling  on  thefr  hands  and 
knees  up  to  their  rery  encampment  to  ascertain 
their  strength.  On  these  occasions  the  shrill 


NORTH    AMERICA,  197 

whistle  is  heard,  every  man  springs  up  armed  and 
rushes  forth,  ready  to  resist  his  assailing  enemy. 
I  have  seen  war-parties  among  the  Crows  and 
Blackfeet,  the  Mandans  and  Sioux,  the  Shawa- 
nees,  Poncas,  Pawnees  and  Seminoles.  But  a 
Camanchee  war-party,  mounted  on  wild  horses, 
with  their  shields,  bows  and  lances,  which  I  once 
witnessed,  was  the  most  imposing  spectacle  of 
the  kind  I  ever  saw.  The  chief  was  mounted  on 
a  beautiful  war-horse,  wild  as  the  winds,  and  yet 
he  appeared  to  manage  him  with  ease.  He  was 
in  full  dress,  and  seemed  to  have  as  much  fire  in 
his  disposition  as  the  chafed  animal  on  which  he 
rode.  In  his  bridle-hand,  he  clutched  his  bow 
and  several  arrows ;  with  his  other  hand,  he 
wielded  his  long  lance;  while  his  quiver  and 
shield  were  slung  at  his  back,  and  his  rifle  across 
bis  thigh. 

Austin.  I  think  I  can  see  him.  But  what 
colour  was  his  war-horse  ? 

Hunter.  Black  as  a  raven  ;  but  the  white  foam 
lay  in  thick  flakes  on  his  neck  and  breast,  for  his 
rider  at  every  few  paces  stuck  the  sharp  rowels 
of  his  Spanish  spurs  into  his  sides.  He  had  a 
long  flowing  mane  and  tail,  and  his  full  and  fiery 
eyes  seemed  ready  to  start  out  of  his  head.  The 
whole  Camanchee  band  was  ready  to  rush  into 
any  danger.  At  one  time,  they  were  flying  over 
the  prairie  in  single  file ;  and  at  another,  drawn 
wp  all  abreast  of  each  other.  The  Camanchees 
and  the  Osa^es  used  to  have  cruel  battles  one  with 
another!  The  Mandans  and  the  Riccarees3  too, 
were  relentless  enemies. 


198  THE  INDIANS  OF 

Brian.  And  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  were  great 
lighters,  for  Black  Hawk  was  a  famous  fellow. 

Hunter.  Yes,  he  was.  But  I  have  never  told 
you,  I  believe,  how  the  medicine  man,  or  mystery 
man,  conducts  himself  when  called  into  a  wounded 
warrior. 

Austin.  Not  a  word  of  it.  Please  to  tell  us 
every  particular. 

Hunter.  In  some  cases  cures  are  certainly  per 
formed  ;  in 'others,  the  wounded  get  well  of  them 
selves  :  but,  in  most  instances,  the  mystery  man 
is  a  mere  juggler. 

Basil.  Now  we  shall  hear  of  the  mystery 
man. 

Hunter.  The  Crow  war-party  that  I  had  joined 
brought  away  two  of  their  wounded  warriors  when 
they  retreated  from  the  Blackfoot  village,  but 
there  seemed  to  be  no  hope  of  saving  their  lives. 
However,  a  mystery  man  was  called  on  to  use 
his  skill. 

Austin .  Ay ;  I  want  to  know  how  the  mystery 
man  cures  his  patients. 

Hunter.  If  ever  you  should  require  a  doctor,  I 
hope  you  will  have  one  more  skilful  than  the 
mystery  man  that  I  am  going  to  describe.  The 
wounded  warriors  were  in  extremity,  and  I  thought 
that  one  of  them  was  dying  before  the  mystery 
man  made  his  appearance ;  but  you  shall  ffear. 
The  wounded  men  lay  groaning  on  the  ground, 
with  Indians  around  them,  who  kept  moaning  even 
louder  than  they  did  ;  when,  all  at  once,  a  scuffle 
of  feet  and  a  noise  like  that  of  a  low  rattle  were 
heard. 


NORTH   AMERICA.  199 

Jiastin.  The  mystery  man  was  coming,  I  suppose. 

Hunter.  He  was  ;  and  a  death-like  silence  was 
instantly  preserved  by  all  the  attendant  Indians. 
In  came  the  mystery  man,  covered  over  with  the 
shaggy  hide  of  a  yellow  bear,  so  that,  had  it  not 
been  that  his  mocassins,  leggings  and  hands 
were  visible,  you  might  have  supposed  a  real 
bear  was  walking  upright,  with  a  spear  in  one 
paw,  and  a  rattle,  formed  like  a  tambourine,  in  the 
other. 

Basil.  He  could  never  cure  the  dying  man  with 
his  tambourine. 

Hunter.  From  the  yellow  bear-skin  hung  a  pro 
fusion  of  smaller  skins,  such  as  those  of  different 
kinds  of  snakes,  toads,  frogs  and  bats  ;  with  hoofs 
of  animals,  beaks  and  tails  of  birds,  and  scraps  and 
fragments  of  other  things  ;  a  complete  bundle  of 
odds  and  ends.  The  medicine  man  came  into  the 
circle,  bending  his  knees,  crouching,  sliding  one 
foot  after  the  other  along  the  ground,  and  now  and 
then  leaping  and  grunting.  You  could  not  see 
his  face,  for  the  yellow  bear-head  skin  covered  it, 
and  the  paws  dangled  before  him.  He  shuffled 
round  and  round  the  wounded  men,  shaking  his 
rattle  and  making  all  kinds  of  odd  noises;  he 
then  stopped  to  turn  them  over. 

Austin.  He  had  need  of  all  his  medicine. 

Hunter.  Hardly  had  he  been  present  a  minute, 
before  one  of  the  men  died  ;  and,  in  ten  minutes 
more,  his  companion  breathed  his  last.  The  medi 
cine  man  turned  them  over,  shook  his  rattle  over 
them,  howled,  groaned  and  grunted  ;  but  it  would 
not  do ;  the  men  were  dead,  and  all  his  mummery 


.200  THE  INDIANS  OF 

would  not  bring  them  back  to  life  again  ;  so,  aftef 
a  few  antics  of  various  kinds,  he  shuffled  off  with 
himself,  shaking  his  rattle,  and  howling  and  groan 
ing  louder  than  ever.  You  may  remember,  that  I 
told  you  of  the  death  of  Oseola,  the  Seminole 
chief:  he  who  struck  his  dagger  through  the 
treaty  that  was  to  sign  away  the  hunting-grounds 
of  his  tribe,  in  exchange  for  distant  lands. 

Jlustin.  Yes.  You  said  that  he  dashed  his  dag 
ger  not  only  through  the  contract,  but  also  through 
the  table  on  which  it  lay. 

Brian.  And  you  told  us  that  he  was  taken 
prisoner  by  treachery  and  died  in  captivity. 

Hunter.  Now  I  will  tell  you  the  particulars  of 
his  death ;  for  I  only  said  before,  that  he  died 
pillowed  on  the  faithful  bosom  of-his  wife.  He 
liad  his  two  wives  with  him  when  he  died,  but 
one  was  his  favourite. 

Jlustin.  Please  to  let  us  know  every  thing  about 
him.  It  was  at  Fort  Moultrie  in  Charleston,  South 
Carolina. 

Hunter.  Finding  himself  at  the  point  of  death, 
he  made  signs  that  the  chiefs  and  officers  might 
be  assembled,  and  his  wishes  were  immediately 
complied  with.  The  next  thing  he  desired  was? 
that  his  war-dress^  that  dress  in  which  he  had  so 
often  led  his  tribe  to  victory,  might  be  brought  to 
him.  His  wife  waited  obediently  upon  him,  and 
his  war-dress  was  placed  before  him. 

Basil.  What  could  he  want  of  his  war-dress 
when  he  was  going  to  die  ? 

Jlustin.  Wait  a  little,  Basil,  and  you  will  hea? 
all  about  it,  I  dare  say. 


UORTH- AMERICA.  203 

Hunter.  It  was  an  affecting  sight,  to  see  him 
get  up  from  his  bed  on  the  floor,  once  more  to 
dress  himself  as  a  chief  of  his  tribe,  just  as  if  he 
was  about  to  head  an  expedition  against  the 
whites.  Well,  he  put  on  his  rich  mocassins,  his 
leggings  adorned  with  scalp-locks,  his  shirt  and. 
his  ornamental  belt  of  war.  Nor  did  he  forget 
the  pouch  that  carried  his  bullets,  the  horn  that 
held  his  powder^  nor  the  knife  with  which  he  had 
taken  so  many  scalps. 

Brian.  How  very  strange  for  a  dying  man  to 
dress  himself  in  that  way ! 

Hunter.  In  all  this,  he  was  as  calm  and  as 
steady  as  though  about  to  hunt  in  the  woods  with 
his  tribe.  He  then  made  signs,  while  sitting  up 
in  his  bed,  that  his  red  paint  should  be  given  him, 
and  his  looking-glass  held  up,  that  he  might  paint 
his  face. 

Austin.  And  did  he  paint  his  face  himself?' 

Hunter.  Only  one  half  of  it ;  after  which  his 
throat,  neck,  wrists  and  the  backs  of  his  hands 
were  made  as  red  as  vermilion  would  make  them. 
The  very  handle  of  his  knife  was  coloured  over  in 
the  same  way. 

Basil.  What  did  he  paint  his  hands  and  his 
knife-handle  for  I 

Hunter.  Because  it  was  the  custom  of  his  tribe, 
and  of  his  fathers  before  him,  to  paint  themselves 
and  their  weapons  red,  whenever  they  took  an 
oath  of  destruction  to  their  enemies.  Oseola  did 
it,  no  doubt,  that  he  might  die  like  a  chief  of  his 
tribe;  that  he  might  show  those  around  him,  that, 
even  in  death,  he  did  not  forget  that  he  was  a 


202  THE  INDIANS  OF 

Seminole  warrior.  In  that  awful  hour,  he  put  on 
his  splendid  turban  with  its  three  ostrich  feathers  ^ 
and  then,  being  wearied  with  the  effort  he  had 
made,  he  lay  down  to  recover  hi??  strength. 

Austin.  How  weak  he  must  have  been  ! 

Hunter.  In  a  short  time  he  rose  again,  sitting 
in  his  full  dress  like  the  leader  of  a  warlike  tribe, 
and  calmly  and  smilingly  extended  his  hand  to 
the  chiefs  and  officers,  to  his  wives  and  his  chil 
dren.  But  this,  his  last  effort,  exhausted  his  re 
maining  strength.  He  was  lowered  down  on  the 
bed,  calmly  drew  his  scalping-knife  from  its 
sheath  under  his  war-belt,  where  it  had  been 
placed,  and  grasped  it  with  firmness  and  dignity. 
With  his  hands  crossed  on  his  manly  breast,  and 
with  a  smile  on  his  face,  he  breathed  his  last. 
Thus  passed  away  the  spirit  of  Oseola. 

Austin.  Poor  Oseola!  He  died  like  a  chief, 
at  last. 

Hunter.  He  did,  but  not  like  a  Christian,  and, 
very  likely,  when  he  grasped  his  scalping-knife, 
before  his  last  breath  forsook  him,  some  glowing 
vision  of  successful  combat  was  before  him.  In 
the  pride  of  his  heart,  perhaps,  he  was  leading  on 
his  braves  to  mingle  in  the  clash  of  battle  and 
the  death-grapple  wkh  his  enemies.  But  is  this 
a  fit  state  of  mind  for  a  man  to  die  in  ?  Much  as 
we  may  admire  the  steady  firmness  and  unsub 
dued  courage  of  an  Indian  warrior  in  death,  emo 
tions  of  pride  and  high-mindedness,  and  thoughts 
of  bloodshed  and  victory,  are  as  far  removed  as 
possible  from  the  principles  of  Christianity,  and  most 


NORTH   AMERICA, 


203 


unsuitable  to  a  dying  hour.  H*  .nility,  forgiveness 
repentance,  hope,  faith,  peace  and  joy,  are  needee 
at  such  a  season;  and  the  brat  Wt'..  come,  we 
trust,  when  Indians,  taught  better  vy  he 
will  think  and  feel  so. 


204 


THE    INDIANS   OF 


Mounted  Chief. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  holidays  of  the  three  brothers  were'draw- 
tpg  to  a  close  ;  and  this  circumstance  rendered 
(hem  the  more  anxious  to  secure  one  or  two  more 
visits  to  the  cottage,  before  they  settled  down  in 
right  earnest  to  their  books.  Brian  and  Basil 
talked  much  about  the  poisoned  arrows,  and  the 
mystery  man  ;  but  Austin's  mind  was  too  much 
occupied  with  the  Camanchee  chief  on  his  black 
war-horse,  and  the  death  of  the  Seminole  chief 
Qseola,  to  think  much  of  any  Ining  else.  He 
thought  there  was  something  very  noble,  in  the 


NORTH   AMERICA.  205 

valour  of  a  chief  leading  on  his  tribe  to  con 
quest  ;  and  something  almost  sublime  in  a  warrior 
dressing  himself  up  in  his  war-robes  to  die.  Like 
many  other  young  people  of  ardent  dispositions, 
he  seemed  to  forget,  that  when  a  victory  is  en 
joyed,  a  defeat  must  be  endured  ;  and  that  be 
fore  any  one  can  rejoice  in  taking  a  scalp,  some 
one  must  be  rendered  miserable  or  lifeless  by- 
losing  it.  The  remarks  of  the  hunter,  respecting 
the  inconsistency  of  such  customs  with  the  peace 
ful  principles  of  religion,  especially  the  solemnities 
of  a  dying  hour,  had  not  been  made  altogether  in 
vain  ;  yet  still  he  dwelt  on  the  image  of  Oseola 
grasping  his  scalping-knife,  crossing  his  hands 
over  his  breast,  and  dying  with  a  smile  on  his 
countenance. 

On  their  next  walk  to  the  cottage,  the  way  was  be 
guiled  by  endeavouring  to  call  to  mind  all  that  had 
been  told  them  on  their  last  visit ;  and,  to  do  him 
justice,  he  acquitted  himself  uncommonly  well. 
It  is  true,  that  now  and  then  his  brothers  refreshed 
his  memory  on  some  points  which  had  escaped 
him ;  but,  on  the  whole,  his  account  was  full, 
connected,  and  clear. 

"  And  what  must  I  tell  you  now  ?"  said  the 
hunter,  as  soon  as  he  and  the  young  people  had 
exchanged  salutations.  "  Do  you  not  know 
enough  about  the  Indians?" 

To  this  inquiry,  Brian  replied  that  what  they 
had  heard  had  only  increased  their  curiosity  to 
hear  more. 

"  Wfll ;  let  me  consider,"  said  the  hunter.  "  J 
have  told  you  about  the  different  tribes  of  Indians, 


206  THE    INDIANS    OF 

their  religion,  languages,  manners  and  customs; 
their  villages,  wigwams,  food,  dress,  arms  and 
musical  instruments.  I  have  described  to  you  the 
fur  trade ;  and  dwelt  on  the  scenery  of  the 
country,  the  mountains,  rivers,  lakes,  prairies 
and  many  remarkable  places.  I  have  related  the 
adventures  of  Black  Hawk  and  Nikkanochee. 
And,  besides  these  things,  you  have  had  a  tole 
rably  full  account  of  buffaloes,  bears,  wild  horses, 
wolves,  deer  and  other  animals,  with  the  manner 
of  hunting  them  ;  as  well  as  a  relation  of  Indian 
amusements,  dances,  sham  rights,  war-parties,  en 
campments,  alarms,  attacks,  scalping  and  retreats. 
Let  me  now,  then,  dwell  a  little  on  the  Indian 
way  of  concluding  a  treaty  of  peace,  and  on  a 
few  other  matters ;  after  which,  I  will  conclude 
with  the  best  account  I  can  give  you  of  what  the 
missionaries  have  done  among  the  different  tribes." 

Austin.  I  shall  be  very  sorry  when  you  have 
told  us  all. 

Brian.  And  so  shall  I :  for  it  is  so  pleasing  to 
come  here,  "and  listen^to  what  you  tell  us. 

Hunter.  When  it  is  agreed  between  hostile 
tribes  that  a  treaty  of  peace  shall  be  made,  the 
chiefs  and  medicine  men  of  the  adverse  tribes 
meet  together,  and  the  calumet,  or  peace-pipe, 
ornamented  with  eagle  quills,  being  produced, 
every  one  smokes  a  few  whiffs  through  it.  It  is 
then  understood  by  them  that  the  tomahawrk  is  to 
be  buried.  The  pipe-of-peace  dance  is  then  per 
formed  by  the  warriors,  to  the  beat  of  the  Indian 
drum  and  rattle,  every  warrior  holding  his  pipe  in 
his  hand. 


NORTH   AMERICA.  2(T 

Brian.  That  pipe-of-peace  dance  is  a  capita] 
dance,  for  then  bloodshed  is  at  an  end. 

Hunter.  Unfortunately,  war  is  apt  soon  tc 
break  out  again,  and  then  the  buried  tomahawk 
becomes  as  busy  as  ever. 

Jlustin.  Well,  I  do  like  the  Indians,  in  spite 
of  all  their  faults,  and  I  think  they  have  been  used 
cruelly  by  the  whites. 

Hunter.  As  a  general  remark,  those  Indians 
who  have  had  least  to  do  with  civilized  life  are 
the  most  worthy  of  regard.  Such  as  live  near 
white  men,  or  such  as  are  frequently  visited  by 
them,  seem  to  learn  quickly ^the  vices  of  others, 
without  giving  up  their  own.  To  observe  the 
real  character  of  red  men,  it  is  necessary  to  trace 
the  turnings  and  windings  of  the  Yellow  Stone 
River,  or  the  yet  more  remote  sinuosities  of  the 
Upper  Missouri.  The  nearer  the  United  States, 
the  more  servile  is  the  Indian  character ;  and  the 
nearer  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the  more  independ 
ent  and  open-hearted. 

Jlustin.  If  I  ever  go  among  the  red  men,  the 
Yellow  Stone  River,  or  the  Upper  Missouri,  will 
be  the  place  for  me. 

Hunter.  Many  of  the  chiefs  of  the  tribes  near 
the  Rocky  Mountains  may  be  said  to  live  in  a 
state  of  splendour.  They  have  the  pure  air  of 
heaven  around  them  and  rivers  abounding  in  fish. 
The  prairie  yields  them  buffaloes  in  plenty ;  and, 
as  for  their  lodges  and  dress,  some  of  them  may 
be  called  sumptuous.  Sometimes,  twenty  or 
thirty  buffalo  skins,  beautifully  dressed,  are  joined 
together  to  form  a  covering  for  a  lodge ;  and  their 


208  THE    INDIANS    OF 

rotes  and  different  articles  of  apparel  are  so  rich 
with  ermine,  the  nails  and  claws  of  birds  and  ani 
mals,  war-eagle  plumes,  and  embroidery  of  highly 
coloured  porcupine  quills,  that  a  monarch  in  his 
coronation  robes  is  scarcely  a  spectacle  more  im 
posing. 

Jlustin.  Ay,  I  remember  the  dress  of  Mah-to- 
toh-pa,  "  the  four  bears,"  his  buffalo  robe,  his  por 
cupine-quilled  leggings,  his  embroidered  buck 
skin  mocassins,  his  otter  necklace,  his  buffalo 
horns,  and  his  splendid  head-dress  of  war-eagle 
plumes. 

Hunter.  In  a  state  of  war,  it  is  the  delight  of  a 
chief  to  leap  on  the  back  of  his  fiery  steed,  de 
corated  as  the  leader  of  his  tribe,  and  armed  with 
his  glittering  lance  and  unerring  bow,  to  lead  on 
his  band  to  victory.  In  the  chase,  he  is  as  ardent 
as  in  the  battle  ;  smiling  at  danger,  he  plunges, 
on  his  flying  steed,  among  a  thousand  buffaloes, 
launching  his  fatal  shafts  with  deadly  effect.  Thus 
has  the  Indian  of  the  far-west  lived,  and  thus  is 
he  living  still.  But  the  trader  and  the  rum-bottle, 
and  the  rifle  and  the  white  man  are  on  his  track.; 
and,  like  his  red  brethren  who  once  dwelt  east 
of  the  Mississippi,  he  must  fall  back  yet  farther, 
and  gradually  decline  before  the  approach  of 
civilization. 

Austin.  It  is  a  very  strange  thing  that  white 
men'  will  not  let  red  men  alone.  What  right 
have  they  to  cheat  them  of  their  hunting-grounds  ? 

Hunter.  I  will  relate  to  you  an  account,  that 
appeared  some  time  ago  in  most  of  the  newspapers, 
(though  I  cannot  vouch  for  the  truth  of  it,)  of 
a  chief  who,  though  he  was  respected  by  his 


NORTH    AMERICA.  209 

tribe  before  he  went  among  the  whites,  had  very 
little  respect  paid  to  him  afterwards. 

Brian.  I  hope  it  is  a  long  account. 

Hunter.  Not  very  long:  but  you  shall  hear. 
"  In  order  to  assist  the  officers  of  the  Indian  de 
partment,  in  their  arduous  duty  of  persuading 
remote  tribes  to  quit  their  lands,  it  has  been  found 
advisable  to  incur  the  expense  of  inviting  one  or 
two  of  their  chiefs  some  two  or  three  thousand 
miles  to  Washington,  in  order  that  they  should 
see  with  their  own  eyes,  and  report  to  their  tribes, 
the  irresistible  power  of  the  nation  with  which 
they  are  arguing.  This  speculation  has,  it  is  said, 
in  all  instances,  more  or  less  effected  its  object. 
For  the  reasons  and  for  the  objects  wTe  have  stated, 
it  was  deemed  advisable  that  a  certain  chief  should 
be  invited  from  his  remote  country  to  Washington  ; 
and  accordingly,  in  due  time,  he  appeared  there." 

Austin.  Two  or  three  thousand  miles  !  What 
a  distance  for  him  to  go ! 

Hunter.  "  After  the  troops  had  been  made  to 
manoeuvre  before  him  ;  after  thundering  volleys 
of  artillery  had  almost  deafened  him ;  and  after 
every  department  had  displayed  to  him  all  that 
was  likely  to  add  to  the  terror  and  astonishment 
he  had  already  experienced,  the  President,  in  lieu 
of  the  Indian's  clothes,  presented  him  with  a 
colonel's  uniform  ;  in  which,  and  with  many  other 
presents,  the  bewildered  chief  took  his  departure." 

Brian.  He  would  hardly  know  how  to  walk  in 
a  colonel's  uniform, 

Hunter.  "  In  a  pair  of  white  kid  gloves;  tight 
blue  coat,  with  gilt  buttons,  gold  epaulettes,  and 


210  THE   INDIANS    OF 

red  sash  ;  cloth  trowsers  with  strap?  •  high-heeled 
boots ;  cocked  hat,  and  scarlet  fe£  ther ;  with  a 
cigar  n  his  mouth,  a  green  umbrella  in  one  hand, 
and  a  yellow  fan  in  the  ott  er  ;  and  with  the  neck 
of  a  whiskey  bottle  protruding  out  of  each  of 
the  two  tail-pockets  of  his  regimental  coat ;  this 
'  monkey  that  had  seen  the  world'  suddenly  ap 
peared  before  the  chiefs  and  warriors  of  his  tribe  ; 
and  as  he  stood  before  them,  straight  as  a  ramrod, 
in  a  high  state  of  perspiration,  caused  by  the 
tightness  of  his  finery,  while  the  cool  fresh  air  of 
heaven  blew  over  the  naked,  unrestrained  limbs 
of  the  spectators,  it  might,  perhaps  not  unjustly, 
be  said  of  the  costumes,  i  Which  is  the  savage  ?' 
In  return  for  the  presents  he  had  received,  and 
with  a  desire  to  impart  as  much  real  information 
as  possible  to  his  tribe,  the  poor,  jaded  traveller 
undertook  to  deliver  to  them  a  course  of  lectures,- 
in  which  he  graphically  described  all  that  he  had 
witnessed." 

Austin.  An  Indian  in -white  kid  gloves,  blue 
coat,  high-heeled  boots,  and  cocked  hat  and  fea 
ther!  Why  his  tribe  would  all  laugh  at  him,  irv 
spite  of  his  lectures. 

Hunter.  "  For  a  while  he  was  listened  to  with 
attention  ;  but  as  soon  as  the  minds  of  his  audi 
ence  had  received  as  much  as  they  could  hold, 
they  began  to  disbelieve  him.  Nothing  daunted, 
however,  the  traveller  still  proceeded." 

Austin.  I  thought  they  would  laugh  at  him. 

Hunter.  "  He  told  them  about  wigwams,  in 
which  a  thousand  people  could  at  one  time  pray 
to  the  Great  Spirit ;  of  other  wigwams,  five  stories 


NORTH   AMERICA. 

high,  built  in  lines,  facing  each  other,  and  extend 
ing  over  an  enormous  space :  he  told  them  of 
war  canoes  that  would  hold  twelve  hundred  war 
riors." 

Austin.  They  would  be  sure  never  to  believe 
him. 

Hunter.  "  Such  tales,  to  the  Indian  mind, 
seemed  an  insult  to  common  sense.  For  some 
time  he  was  treated  merely  with  ridicule  and  con 
tempt  ;  but,  when,  resolutely  continuing  to  recount 
his  adventures,  he  told  them  about  a  balloon,  and 
that  he  had  seen  white  people,  who,  by  attaching 
a  great  ball  to  a  canoe,  as  he  described  it,  could 
rise  in  it  up  to  the  clouds,  and  travel  through  the 
heavens,  the  medicine,  or  mystery  men  of  his  tribe 
pronounced  him  to  be  an  impostor ;  and  the 
multitude  vociferously  declaring  that  he  was  too 
great  a  lianto  live,  a  young  warrior,  in  a  paroxysm 
of  anger,  levelled  a  rifle  and  shot  him  dead  !" 

Austin.  Well,  I  am  very  sorry!  It  was  very 
silly  to  be  dressed  up  in  that  way  ;  but  they  ought 
not  to  have  killed  him,  for  he  told  them  the  truth, 
after  all. 

Brian.  I  could  never  have  thought  that  an  In 
dian  chief  would  have  dressed  himself  in  a  blue 
coat  and  gilt  buttons. 

Basil.  And,  then,  the  fan  and  green  umbrella  ! 

Austin.  Ay,  and  the  whiskey  bottles  sticking 
out  of  his  tail-pockets.  He  would  look  a  little 
different  from  Mah-to-toh-pa. 

Hunter.  I  have  frequently  spoken  of  the  splendid 
head-dress  of  the  chiefs  of  some  tribes.  Among 
the  Mandans,  (and  you  Know  Mah-to-toh-pa  was 


212 


THE   INEJANS   OF 


a  Mandan,)  they  would  not  part  with  one  of  their 
head-dresses  of  war-eagle  plumes  at  a  less  price 
than  two  horses  The  Konzas,  Osages,  Pawnees, 
Sacs  Foxes  and  lowas  shave  their  heads ;  but 
all  the  rest,  or  at  least  as  far  as  I  know  of  the 
Indian  tribes,  wear  long  hair. 

Brian.  Yes ;  we  remember  the  Crows,  with 
their  hair  sweeping  the  ground. 

Hunter.  Did  I  tell  you,  that  some  of  the  tribes 
glue  other  hair  to  their  own  to  make  it  Ion*  as  it 
is  considered  so  ornamental  ? 

Basil    I  do  not  remember  that  you  told  us  that. 
m    Hunter.     There  are  a  few  other  things  respect 
ing  the  Indians  that  I  wish  to  mention,  before  I 
II  you  what  the  missionaries  have  done  amon? 
•em.     In  ^  civilized    countries,   people   turn   out 
their  toes  in  walking;   but  this  is  not  the  case 
among  the  Indians.     When  the  toes  are  turned 
out,    either   in   walking    or   running,   the   whole 
weight  of  the  body  falls  too  much  on  the  oreat 
toe  of  the  foot  that  is  behind,  and  it  is  mainly 
owing  to  this  circumstance,  that  so  many  have  a 
deformity  at  the  joint  of  the  great  toe.     When  the 
foot  is  turned  in,  the  weight  of  the  body  is  thrown 
equally  on  all  th.j  toes,  and  the  deformity  of  the 
great  toe  joint  is  avoided. 

Austin.    What!    do  the  Indians  know  better 
how  to  walk  than  we  do?     If  (heirs  is  the  best 
way  to  walk,  why  do  not  we  all  walk  so  ? 
m   Hunter.    I  suppose,  because  it  is  not  so  elegant 
i  appearance  to  walk  so.     But  many  things  -are 
lone  by  civilized   people  on   account  of  fashion 
Hundreds  and  hundreds  of  females  shorten  their 


NORTH   AMERICA.  213 

lives  by  the  tight  clothing  and  lacings  with  which 
^  they  compress  their  bodies ;  but  the  Indians  do 
not  commit  such  folly. 

Brian.    There  is  something  to  be  learned  from 
the  Indians,  after  all. 

Hunter.  There  is  a  custom  among  the  Sacs 
and  Foxes  that  I  do  not  think  I  spoke  of.  The 
Sacs  are  better  provided  with  horses  than  the 
Foxes :  and  so,  when  the  latter  go  to  war  and 
want  horses,  they  go  to  the  Sacs  and  beg  them. 
After  a  time,  they  sit  round  in  a  circle,  and  take 
up  their  pipes  to  smoke,  seemingly  quite  at  their 
ease;  and,  while  they  are  whiffing  away,  the 
young  men  of  the  Sacs  ride  round  and  round  the 
circle,  every  now  and  then  cutting  at  the  shoul 
ders  of  the  Foxes  with  their  whips,  making  the 
blood  start  forth.  After  keeping  up  this  strange- 
custom  for  some  time,  the  young  Sacs  dismount, 
and  present  their  horses  to  those  they  have  been 
flogging. 

Austin.  What  a  curious  custom  !  I  should  not 
much  like  to  be  flogged  in  that  manner. 

Hunter.  There  is  a  certain  rock  which  the 
Camanchees  always  visit  when  they  go  to  war. 
Putting  their  horses  at  full  speed,  they  shoot  their 
best  arrows  at  this  rock,  which  they  consider 
great  medicine.  If  they  did  not  go  through  this 
long-established  custom,  there  would  be  no  confi 
dence  among  them;  but,  when  they  have  thus 
sacrificed  their  best  arrows  to  the  rock,  the?r  hope 
and  confidence  are  strong. 

Jlustin.  I  should  have  thought  they  would 
have  wanted  their  best  arrows  to  fight  with. 


214 


THE   INDIANS    OF 


Hunter.  Taere  is  no  accounting  for  the  super 
stitions  of  people.  There  is  nothing  too  absurd 
to  gain  belief  even  among  civilized  nations,  when 
they  give  up  the  truth  of  God's  word,  and  follow 
the  traditions  or  commandments  of  men.  The 
Sioux  have  a  strange  notion  about  thunder ;  they 
say  that  the  thunder  is  hatched  by  a  small  bird, 
not  much  bigger  than  the  humming-bird.  There 
is,  in  the  Couteau  des  Prairies,  a  place  called 
"the  nest  of  the  thunder;"  and,  in  the  small 
bushes  there,  they  will  have  it  that  this  little  bird 
sits  upon  its  eggs  till  the  long  claps  of  thunder 
come  forth.  Strange  as  this  tradition  is,  there 
would  be  no  use  in  denying  it ;  for  the  supersti 
tion  of  the  Indian  is  too  strong  to  be  easily  done 
away  with.  The  same  people,  before  they  go  on 
a  buffalo  hunt,  usually  pay  a  visit  to  a  spot  where 
the  form  of  a  buffalo  is  cut  out  on  a  prairie. 
This  figure  is  great  medicine;  .and  the  hunt  is 
sure  to  be  more  prosperous,  in  their  opinion,  after 
it  has  been  visited. 

Austin.  I  do  hope  that  we  shall  forget  none  of 
these  curious  things. 


NORTH    AMERICA. 


215 


Eliot  Preaching  to  the  Indians. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

FOR  the  last  time  but  one,  during  their  holi 
days,  Austin  and  his  brothers  set  off,  with  a  long- 
afternoon  before  them,  to  listen  to  the  hunter's 
account  of  the  proceedings  of  the  missionaries 
among  the  Indians.  On  this  occasion,  they  paid 
another  visit  to  the  Red  Sand-stone  Rock  by  the 
river,  the  place  where  they  first  met  with  their 
friend,  the  hunter.  Here  they  recalled  to  mind 
all  the  circumstances  which  had  taken  place  at  that 
spot,  and  agreed  that  the  hunter,  in  saving  their 
lives  by  his  timely  warning,  and  afterwards  add 
ing  so  much  as  he  had  done  to  their  information 
and  pleasure,  had  been  to  them  one  of  the  best 
friends  they  had  ever  known.  With  very  friendlv 


216  THE    INDIANS    OF 

and  grateful  feelings  towards  him,  they  hastened 
to  the  cottage,  when  the  Indians,  as  usual,  became 
the  subject  of  their  conversation.  "  And  now," 
said  Austin,  "  we  are  quite  ready  to  hear  about 
the  missionaries." 

Hunter.  Let  me  speak  a  word  or  two  about 
the  Indians,  before  I  begin  my  account.  You  re 
member  that  I  told  you  of  the  Mandans. 

Austin.  Yes.  Mah-to-toh-pa  was  a  Mandan, 
with  his  fine  robes  and  war-eagle  head-dress.  The 
rain-makers  were  Mandans  ;  also  the  young  war 
riors,  who  went  through  so  many  tortures  in  the 
mystery  lodge. 

Hunter.  Well,  I  must  now  tell  you  a  sad  truth. 
After  I  left  the  Mandans,  great  changes  came  upon 
them  ;  and,  at  the  present  time,  hardly  a  single 
Mandan  is  alive. 

Austin.  Dreadful!  But  how  was  it?  What 
brought  it  all  about  ? 

Brian.     You  should  have  told  us  this  before. 

Hunter.  No.  I  preferred  to  tell  you  first  of 
the  people  as  they  were  when  I  was  with  them. 
You  may  remember  my  observation,  in  one  of 
your  early  visits,  that  great  changes  had  taken 
place  among  them  ;  that  the  tomahawks  of  the 
stronger  tribes  had  thinned  the  others ;  that  many 
had  sold  their  lands  to  the  whites,  and  retired  to 
the  west  of  the  Mississippi ;  and  that  thousands 
had  fallen  a  prey  to  the  small-pox.  It  was  in  the 
year  1838  that  this  dreadful  disease  was  introduced 
among  the  Mandans,  and  other  tribes  of  the  fur- 
traders.  Of  the  Blackfeet,  Crows  and  two  or 
raree  other  tribes,  twenty-five  thousand  perished  ; 


NORTH   AMERIfA.  217 

but  of  the  poor  'Mandans,  the  whole  tribe  was 
destroyed. 

Brian.  Why  did  they  not  get  a  doctor  ;  or  go 
out  of  their  village  to  the  wide  prairie,  that  one 
might  not  catch  the  disease  from  another  ? 

Hunter.  Doctors  were  too  far  off;  and  the 
ravages  of  the  disease  were  so  swift  that  it  swept 
them  all  away  in  a  few  months.  Their  mystery 
men  could  not  help  them ;  and  their  enemies,  the 
Sioux,  had  war-parties  round  their  village,  so  that 
they  could  not  go  out  to  the  wide  prairie.  There 
they  were,  dying  fast  in  their  village  ;  and  little 
else  was  heard,  during  day  or  night,  but  wailing, 
howling  and  crying  to  the  Great  Spirit  to  relieve 
them. 

Austin.  And  did  Mah-to-toh-pa,  "  the  four 
bears,"  die  too  ? 

Hunter.  Yes.  For,  though  he  recovered  from 
the  disease,  he  could  not  bear  up  against  the  loss 
of  his  wives  and  his  children.  They  all  died  be 
fore  his  eyes,  and  he  piled  them  together  in  his  lodge, 
and  covered  them  with  robes.  His  braves  and 
his  warjiors  died,  and  life  had  no  charms  for  him  ; 
for  who  was  to  share  with  him  his  joy  or  his  grief? 
He  retired  from  his  wigwam,  and  fasted  six  days, 
lamenting  the  destruction  of  his  tribe.  He  then 
crawled  back  to  his  own  lodge,  laid  himself  by 
his  dead  family,  covered  himself  with  a  robe,  and 
died  like  an  Indian  chief.  This  is  a  melancholy 
picture  ;  and  when  I  first  heard  of  the  terrible 
event,  I  could  have  wept. 

Austin.  It  was  indeed  a  terrible  affair.  Have 
they  no  good  doctors  among  the  Indians  now  ? 


218  THE    INDIANS    OF 

Why  do  they  not  send  for  doctors  who  know  how 
to  cure  the  small-pox,  instead  of  those  juggling 
mystery  men  ? 

Hunter.  Many  attempts  have  been  made  to 
introduce  vaccination  among  the  tribes  ;  but  their 
jealousy  arid  want  of  confidence  in  white  men, 
who  have  so  much  wronged  them,  and  their  at 
tachment  to  their  own  customs  and  superstitions, 
have  prevented  those  attempts  from  being  very  suc 
cessful. 

Austin.  Who  was  the  first  missionary  who 
went  among  the  Indians  ? 

Hunter.  I  believe  the  first  Indian  missionary 
was  John  Eliot.  More  than  two  hundred  years 
ago,  a  body  of  pious  Englishmen  left  their  native 
land,  because  they  were  not  allowed  peaceably  to 
serve  God  according  to  their  consciences.  They 
landed  in  America,  having  obtained  a  grant  of 
land  there.  They  are  sometimes  called  "  Puri 
tans,"  and  sometimes  "the  Pilgrim  Fathers."  It 
is  certain,  that,  whatever  were  their  peculiarities, 
arid  by  whatever  names  they  were  known,  the  fear 
of  God  and  the  love  of  mankind  animated  their 
hearts. 

These  men  did  not  seize  the  possessions  of  the 
Indians,  because  they  had  arms  and  skill  to  use 
them.  But  they  entered  into  a  treaty  with  them 
for  the  purchase  of  their  lands,  and  paid  them 
what  they  were  satisfied  to  receive.  It  is  true, 
that  what  the  white  man  gave  in  exchange  was 
of  little  value  to  him.  But  the  Indians  prized 
trinkets  more  than  they  would  gold  and  silver, 


NORTH   AMERICA.  219 

anl  they  only  wanted  hunting  and  fishing  grounds 
for  their  own  use.  These  early  colonists,  seeing 
that  the  Indians  were  living  in  idleness,  cruelty 
and  superstition,  were  desirous  to  instruct  them  in 
useful  arts,  and  still  more  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord  ; 
and  John  Eliot,  who  had  left  England  to  join  his 
religious  friends  in  America,  was  the  first  Pro 
testant  missionary  among  the  Indians. 

Jlustin.  I  wonder  he  was  not  afraid  of  going 
among  them. 

Hunter.  He  that  truly  fears  God  has  no  need 
to  fear  danger  in  the  path  of  duty.  John  Eliot 
had  three  good  motives  that  girded  his  loins  and 
strengthened  his  heart :  the  first,  was  the  glory 
of  God,  in  the  conversion  of  the  poor  Indians; 
the  second,  was  his  love  of  mankind,  and  pity  for 
such  as  were  ignorant  of  true  religion  ;  and  the 
third,  was  his  desire  that  the  promise  of  his  friends 
to  spread  the  gospel  among  the  Indians  should  be 
fulfilled.  It  was  no  light  task  that  he  had  under 
taken,  as  I  will  prove  to  you.  I  dare  say,  that 
you  have  not  quite  forgotten  all  the  long  names 
that  I  gave  you. 

Jlustin.  I  remember  your  telling  us  of  them  ; 
and  I  suppose  they  are  the  longest  words  in  the 
world. 

Hunter.  I  will  now  give  you  two  words  in  one 
of  the  languages  tl.at  John  Eliot  had  to  learn,  and 
then,  perhaps,  you  will  alter  your  opinion.  The 
first  of  them  is  noorromantammoonkanunonnash, 
which  means,  "our  loves;"  and  the  second,  or 
"  our  questions,'3  is  kummogokdonattoottammocfa 
teaongannunnonash. 


220  THE    INDIANS    OF 

Austin.  Why  that  last  word  would  reach  all 
across  one  of  our  copy-books. 

Basil.  You  had  better  learn  those  two  words, 
Austin,  to  begin  with. 

Brian.  Ay,  do,  Austin  ;  if  you  have  many  such 
when  you  go  among  the  red  men,  you  must  sit 
up  at  night  to  learn  what  you  have  to  speak  in 
the  day-time. 

Austin.  No,  no ;  I  have  settled  all  that.  I 
mean  to  have  an  interpreter  with  me ;  one  who 
knows  every  thing.  Please  to  tell  us  a  little  more 
about  Eliot. 

Hunter.  I  will.  An  author  says,  speaking  of 
missionaries,  "  As  I  hold  the  highest  title  on  earthi 
to  be  that  of  a  servant  of  God,  and  the  most  im 
portant  employment  that  of  making  known  to 
sinners  the  salvation  that  God  has  wrought  for 
them,  through  his  Son  Jesus  Christ ;  so  I  cannot 
but  estimate  very  highly  the  character  of  an 
humble,  zealous,  conscientious  missionary.  Men 
undertake,  endure  and  achieve  much  when 
riches  and  honours  and  reputation  are  to  be  at 
tained  ;  but  where  is  the  worldly  reputation  of 
him  who  goes,  with  his  life  in  his  hand,  to  make 
known  to  barbarous  lands  the  glad  tidings  of  sal 
vation  ?  Where  are  the  honours  and  'the  money 
bags  of  the  missionary  ?  In  many  cases,  toil  and 
anxiety,  hanger  and  thirst,  reviling  and  violence, 
danger  and  death  await  him  ;  but  where  is  his 
earthly  reward  ?"  Eliot's  labours  were  incessant ; 
translating  not  only  the  commandments,  the  Lord?s 
prayer  and  many  parts  of  Scripture  into  the  Indian 
languages,  but  also  the  whole  Bible.  For  days 


NORTH    AMERICA.  221 

together  he  travelled  from  place  to  place,  wet  to 
the  skin,  wringing  the  wet  from  his  stockings  a.. 
night.  Sometimes  he  was  treated  cruelly  by  the 
sachems,  (principal  chiefs,)  sagamores,  (lesser 
chiefs,)  and  powaws,  (conjurers,  or  mystery  men  ;) 
but  though  they  thrust  him  out,  and  threatened  his 
life,  he  held  on  his  course,  telling  them  that  he 
was  in  the  service  of  the  Great  God,  and  feared 
them  not.  So  highly  did  they  think  of  his  ser 
vices  in  England,  that  a  book  was  printed,  called 
"  The  Day-breaking,  if  not  the  Sun-rising  of  the 
Gospel  with  the  Indians  in  New-England  ;"  and 
another,  entitled  "  The  Clear  Sunshine  of  the 
Gospel  breaking  forth  upon  the  Indians ;"  and 
dedicated  to  the  parliament ;  in  order  that  assist 
ance  and  encouragement  might  be  given  him.  At 
the  close  of  a  grammar,  published  by  him,  he 
wrote  the  words,  "  Prayers  and  pains,  through 
faith  in  Christ  Jesus,  will  do  any  thing." 

Brian.  I  should  think  that  he  was  one  of  the 
best  of  men. 

Hunter.  He  instituted  schools,  and  devoted 
himself  to  the  Christian  course  he  had  undertaken 
with  an  humble  and  ardent  spirit,  until  old  age 
and  increasing  infirmities  rendered  him  too  feeble 
to  do  as  he  had  done  before.  Even  then,  he 
catechised  the  negro  slaves  in  the  neighbourhood 
around  him  ;  and  took  a  poor  blind  boy  home  to 
his  own  house,  that  he  might  teach  him  to  commit 
to  memory  some  of  the  chapters  in  the  Bible. 
Among  the  last  expressions  that  dropped  from  his 
lifts  were  the  words,  ''Welcome  joy!  Pray! 
pray!  pray!"  This  was  in  the  eighty-sixth  yea! 


222  THE    INDIANS    OF 

of  his  age.  No  wonder  he  should  even  i  .ow  be  re* 
membered  by  us  as  "the  apostle  of  the  Indians." 

Basil.  I  am  very  glad  that  you  told  us  about 
tiite.  What  a  good  old  man  he  must  have  been 
when  he  died  ! 

Hunter.  You  will  find  an  interesting  history  of 
Eliot  in  your  Sunday-school  Library,  and  the  Life 
of  Brainerd*  also,  of  whom  I  will  tell  you  a  few 
things.  But  I  advise  you  to  read  both  books,  for 
such  short  remarks  as  I  make  cannot  be  distinctly 
remembered ;  and  the  characters  of  these  eminent 
men  you  will  only  understand  by  reading  the 
history  of  their  lives. 

Austin.  We  will  remember  this. 

Hunter.  There  were  many  good  men,  after  his 
death,  who  trod  as  closely  as  they  could  in  his 
steps:  but  I  must  not  stop  to  dwell  upon  them. 
David  Brainerd,  however,  must  not  be  passed  by  : 
he  was  a  truly  humble  and  zealous  servant  of  the 
Most  High.  You  may  judge,  in  some  degree,  of 
his  interest  in  the  Indians  by  the  following  ex 
tract  from  his  diary : 

June  26.  "  In  the  morning,  my  desire  seemed 
to  rise,  and  ascend  up  freely  to  God.  WTas  busy 
most  of  the  day  in  translating  prayers  into  the 
language  of  the  Delaware  Indians ;  met  with  great 
difficulty,  because  my  interpreter  was  altogether 
unacquainted  with  the  business.  But  though  I 
was  much  discouraged  with  the  extreme  difficulty 
of  that  work,  yet  God  supported  me ;  and,  espe- 


*  Both  these  works  are  published  by  tl  e  American  Sun- 
ctay-school  Union. 


NORTH   AMERICA. 


223 


dally  in  the  evening,  gave  me  sweet  refreshment. 
In  prayer  my  soul  was  enlarged,  and  my  faith 
drawn  into  sensible  exercise  ;  was  enabled  to  cry 
to   God  for  my  poor  Indians;    and  though  the 
work  of  their  conversion  appeared  impossible  with 
man,  yet  with  God  I  saw  all  tilings  were  possible. 
My  faith  was  much  strengthened,  by  observing 
the  wonderful  assistance  God  afforded  his  servants 
Nehemiah  and  Ezra,  in  reforming  his  people  and 
re-establishing  his  ancient  church.     I  was  much 
assisted  in  prayer  for  my  dear  Christian  friends, 
and  for  others  whom  I  apprehended  to  be  Christ- 
less  ;  but  was  more  especially  concerned  for  the 
poor  heathen,  and  those  of  my  own  charge;  was 
enabled   to  be  instant  in   prayer  for  them ;  and 
hoped    that  God   would    bow  the   heavens   and 
come  down  for  their  salvation.     It  seemed  to  me, 
that  there  could  be  no  impediment  sufficient  to 
obstruct    that    glorious  work,   seeing  the   living 
God,  as  I  strongly  hoped,  was  engaged  for  it. 
continued  in  a  solemn  frame,  lifting  up  my  heart 
to  God  for  assistance  and  grace,  that  I  might  be 
more   mortified  to  this  present  world,    that    my 
whole  soul  might  be  taken  up  continually  in  con 
cern  for  the  advancement  of  Christ's  kingdom. 
Earnestly    desired    that    God    would    purge   me 
more,  that  I  might  be  a  chosen  vessel  to  bear  his 
name    among  the  heathens.      Continued  in  this 
frame  till  I  fell  asleep." 

Brian.     Why,  he  was  much   such  a  man  as 
Eliot. 

Hunter.     Both  Eliot  and  Brainerd  did  a  great 
deal  of  good  among  the  Indians.     The  language 


224  THE   INDIANS   OF 

of  Brainerd  was,  "Here  am  I,  Lord,  send  me: 
send  me  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  ;  send  me  to  the 
rough,  the  savage  pagans  of  the  wilderness ;  send 
me  from  all  that  is  called  comfort  on  earth  ;  send 
me  even  to  death  itself,  if  it  be  but  in  thy  service, 
and  to  extend  thy  kingdom." 

Brian.  I  hardly  know  whether  Eliot  was  the 
best  man,  or  Brainerd. 

Hunter.  They  were  very  unlike  in  one  thing ; 
for  Eliot  lived  till  he  was  eighty-six  years  old  ; 
whereas  Brainerd  died  in  the  thirtieth  year  of  his 
age.  But  though  so  young,  it  is  said  of, him,  by 
a  learned  and  good  man,  "The  Life  and  Diary 
of  David  Brainerd  exhibits  a  perfect  pattern  of 
the  qualities  which  should  distinguish  the  in 
structor  of  rude  and  barbarous  tribes ;  the  most 
invincible  patience^and  self-denial,  the  profound- 
est  humility,  exquisite  prudence,  indefatigable 
industry,  and  such  a  devotedness  to  God,  or 
rather  such  an  absorption  of  the  whole  soul  in 
zeal  for  the  Divine  glory  and  the  salvation  of 
men,  as  is  scarcely  to.be  paralleled  since  the  age 
of  the  apostles." 

Brian.     Then,  he  was  as  good  a  man  as  Eliot. 

Hunter.  You  will  read  his  life  surely,  after  all 
you  have  heard  about  the  Indians,  and  will  be  sur 
prised  at  his  great  success  among  them.  I  will  read 
you  an  extract  from  a  letter  written  in  those  days  by 
some  Oneida  chiefs,  by  which  you  will  see  that 
the  labours  of  these  good  men  were  not  in  vain. 

"  The  holy  word  of  Jesus  has  got  place  amongst 
us,  and  advances.  Many  have  lately  forsaken 
their  sins,  to  appearance,  and  turned  to  God. 


NORTH   AMERICA.  225 

There  are  some  among  us  who  are  very  stubborn 
and  strong ;  but  Jesus  is  almighty,  and  has  all 
strength,  and  his  holy  word  is  very  strong,  too : 
therefore  we  hope  it  will  conquer  and  succeed 
more  and  more.  We  say  no  more  ;  only  we  ask 
our  fathers  to  pray  for  us,  though  they  are  at  a 
great  distance.  Perhaps,  by-and-by,  through  the 
strength  and  mercy  of  Jesus,  we  shall  meet  in  his 
kingdom  above.  Farewell. 

TAGAWAROW,  chief  of  the  Bear  tribe. 
SUGHNAGEAROT,  chief  of  the  Wolf  tribe. 
OJEKHETA,  chief  of  the  Turtle  tribe" 

Austin.  Why,  they  were  all  three  of  them 
chiefs ! 

Hunter.  The  speech  made  by  the  chief,  Little 
Turtle,  at  Baltimore,  on  his  way  to  see  the  Presi 
dent  of  the  United  States,  will  interest  you.  Some 
Quakers,  who  saw  him,  told  him  that  the  habit 
among  his  tribe  of  drinking  rum  prevented  them 
from  doing  them  good. 

"  Brothers  and  friends — When  your  forefathers 
first  met  on  this  island,  your  red  brethren  were 
very  numerous;  but,  since  the  introduction  amongst 
us  of  what  you  call  spirituous  liquors,  and  what 
we  think  may  justly  be  called  poison,  our  num 
bers  are  greatly  diminished.  It  has  destroyed  a 
great  part  of  your  red  brethren. 

"  My  friends  and  brothers — We  plainly  perceive 
that  you  see  the  very  evil  which  destroys  your  red 
brethren.  It  is  not  an  evil  of  our  own  making. 
We  have  not  placed  it  amongst  ourselves ;  it  is  an 
evil  placed  amongst  us  by  the  white  people  ;  we 
look  to  them  to  remove  it  out  of  the  country.  We 


226  THE   INDIANS   OF 

tell  them,  <  Brethren,  fetch  us  useful  things  :  bring 
us  goods  that  will  clothe  us,  our  women,  and  our 
children ;  and  not  this  evil  liquor,  that  destroys 
our  health,  that  destroys  our  reason,  that  destroys 
our  lives.'  But  all  that  we  can  say  on  this  sub 
ject  is  of  no  service,  nor  gives  relief  to  your  red 
brethren. 

"  My  friends  and  brothers — I  rejoice  to  find  that 
you  agree  in  opinion  with  us,  and  express  an 
anxiety  to  be,  if  possible,  of  service  to  us,  in  re 
moving  this  great  evil  out  of  our  country  ;  an 
evil  which  has  had  so  much  room  in  it,  and  has 
destroyed  so  many  of  our  lives,  that  it  causes  our 
young  men  to  say, c  We  had  better  be  at  war  with 
the  white  people.  This  liquor,  which  they  intro 
duced  into  oar  country,  is  more  to  be  feared  than 
the  gun  or  tomahawk.'  There  are  more  of  us 
dead  since  the  treaty  of  Greeneville,  than  we  lost 
by  the  six  years'  war  before.  It  is  all  owing  to 
.the  introduction  of  this  liquor  among  us. 

"  Broth'f  j-s — When  our  young  men  have  been 
out  hunting,  and  are  returning  home  loaded  with 
sskins  jarjil  furs,  on  their  way,  if  it  happens  that 
they  come  where  this  whiskey  is  deposited,  the 
white  man  who  sells  it  tells  them  to  take  a  little 
drink.  Some  of  i.hem  will  say,  '  No  ;  I  do  not 
want  it.'  They  go  on  till  they  come  to  another 
house,  where  they  find  more  of  the  same  kind  of 
drink.  It  is  there  offered  again  ;  they  refuse  ;  and 
again  the  third  time  :  but,  finally,  the  fourth  or 
fifth  time,  one  accepts  of  it,  and  takes  a  drink, 
and  getting  one  he  wants  another,  and  then  a 
third,  and  fourdi,  till  his  senses  have  left  him 


NORTH   AMERICA..  227 

After  his  reason  comes  back  to  him,  when  he  gets 
up  and  finds  where  he  is,  he  asks  for  his  peltry. 
The  answer  is,  <  You  have  drunk  them.'  '  Where 
is  my  gun  ?'  c  It  is  gone.'  l  Where  is  my  blanket  ?* 
£  It  is  gone.'  £  Where  is  my  shirt  ?'  '  You  have 
sold  it  for  whiskey  !'  Now,  brothers,  figure  to 
yourselves  what  condition  this  man  must  be  in. 
He  has  a  family  at  home;  a  wife  and  children 
who  stand  in  need  of  the  profits  of  his  hunting. 
What  must  be  their  wants,  when  even  he  himself 
is  without  a  shirt?" 

.  Austin.     There  is  a  great  deal  of  good  sense 
in  what  Little  Turtle  said. 

Hunter.  The  war  between  England  and 
America  made  sad  confusion  among  the  Indians, 
and  the  missionaries  too ;  for  it  was  reported  that 
the  missionaries  were  joining  the  French  against 
the  English,  so  that  they  and  the  Indian  converts 
were  dreadfully  persecuted. 

Colonel  de  Peyster,  who  was  then  the-  English 
governor  at  Fort  Detroit,  suspected  the  Christian 
Indians  of  being  partisans  of  the  Americans,  and 
the  missionaries  of  being  spies  ;  and  he  wished 
the  Indians  favourable  to  him  to  carry  them  all  off. 
Captain  Pipe,  a  Delaware  chief,  persuaded  the 
half  king  of  the  Hurons  to  force  them  away.  Per 
secution  went  on,  till  the  missionaries,  seeing  that 
no  other  course  remained,  they  being  plundered 
without  mercy,  and  their  lives  threatened,  con 
sented  to  emigrate.  They  were  thus  compelled 
to  quit  their  pleasant  settlement,  escorted  by  a. 
troop  of  savages  headed  by  an  English  officer. 
The  half  kins:  of  the  Hurons  went  with  th=. 


223  THE    INDIANS    O 

But  I  will  read  you  an  account  of  what  took  place 
after  they  reached  San  dusky  Creek.  "  Having 
arrived  at  Sandusky  Creek,  after  a  journey  of  up 
wards  of  four  weeks,  the  half  king  of  the  Hurons 
and  his  warriors  left  them,  and  marched  into  their 
own  country,  without  giving  them  any  particular 
orders  how  to  proceed.  Thus  they  were  aban 
doned  in  a  wilderness  where  there  was  neither 
game  nor  provisions  of  any  kind  ;  such  was  the 
place  to  which  the  barbarians  had  led  them,  not 
withstanding  they  had  represented  it  as  a  perfect 
paradise.  After  wandering  to  and  fro  for  some 
time,  they  resolved  to  spend  the  winter  in  Uppei 
Sandusky  ;  and,  having  pitched  on  the  most  con 
venient  spot  they  could  find  in  this  dreary  region, 
they  erected  small  huts  of  logs  and  bark,  to 
shelter  themselves  from  the  rain  and  cold.  They 
were  now,  however,  so  poor,  that  they  had  neither 
beds  nor  blankets  ;  for,  on  the  journey,  the  savages 
had  stolen  every  thing  from  them,  except  only 
their  utensils  for  manufacturing  maple  sugar.  But 
nothing  distressed  them  so  much  as  the  want  of 
provisions.  Some  had  long  spent  their  all,  and 
now  depended  on  the  charity  of  their  neighbours 
for  a  morsel  to  eat.  Even  the  missionaries,  who 
hitherto  had  uniformly  gained  a  livelihood  by  the 
labour  of  their  hands,  were  now  reduced  to  the 
necessity  of  receiving  support  from  the  congrega 
tion.  As  their  wants  were  so  urgent,  Shebosh 
the  missionary,  and  several  of  the  Christian  In 
dians,  returned,  as  soon  as  possible,  to  their  settle 
ments  on  the  Muskingum,  to  fetch  the  Indian  corn 
which  they  had  left  growing  in  the  fields. 


NORTH    AMERICA.  229 

ct  Scarcely  had  the  congregation  begun  to  settle 
in  Sandusky,  when  the  missionaries  were  ordered 
to  go  and  appear  before  the  governor  of  Fort  De 
troit.  Four  of  them,  accompanied  by  several  of 
the  Indian  assistants,  accordingly  set  off  without 
delay,  while  the  other  two  remained  with  their 
little  flock.  On  taking  their  departure,  they  ex 
perienced  the  most  agonizing  sensations :  partly, 
as  they  knew  not  what  might  be  the  issue  of  the 
journey  ;  arid  partly,  as  they  were  obliged  to  leave 
their  families  in  want  of  the  common  necessaries 
of  life.  As  they  travelled  chiefly  by  land,  along 
the  banks  of  Lake  Erie,  they  had  to  pass  through 
numerous  swamps,  over  large  inundated  plains, 
.  and  through  thick  forests.  But  the  most  painful 
circumstance  was,  their  hearing  that  some  of  the 
Indians,  who  had  gone  to  Muskingum  to  fetch 
corn,  had  been  murdered  by  the  white  people  ; 
and  that  a  large  body  of  these  miscreants  were 
marching  to  Sandusky,  to  surprise  the  new  settle 
ment.  This  report,  indeed,  was  not  correct.  She- 
bosh,  the  missionary,  and  five  of  the  Christian 
Indians  were,  it  is  true,  taken  prisoners  at  Sho- 
enbrunn  and  carried  to  Pittsburg.  The  others 
returned  safe  to  Sandusky,  with  about  four  hun 
dred  bushels  of  Indian  corn,  which  they  had  gather 
ed  in  the  fields.  But  as  the  travellers  did  not  hear 
a  correct  statement  of  trfese  circumstances  until 
afterwards,  they  suffered  meanwhile  the  greatest 
anxiety  and  distress. 

"  Having  arrived  at  Detroit,  they  appeared  be 
fore  the  governor,  in  order  to  answer  the  accusa 
tions  brought  against  them,  of  holdino-  a  corre- 
20 


230  THE    INDIANS    OF 

spondence  with  the  Americans,  to  the  prejudice  of 
the  English  interest.  The  investigation,  however, 
was  deferred  till  Captain  Pipe,  their  principal  ac 
cuser,  should  arrive.  A  circumstance  which  could 
not  but  give  them,  much  uneasiness,  as  he  had 
hitherto  shown  himself  their  bitter  and  determined 
enemy.  They  had  no  friend  on  earth  to  interpose 
in  their  behalf;  but  they  had  a  Friend  in  heaven, 
in  whom  they  put  their  trust :  nor  was  their  con 
fidence  in  Him  in  vain.  On  the  day  of  trial, 
Captain  Pipe,  after  some  ceremonies  had  passed 
between  him  and  Colonel  de  Peyster,  respecting 
the  scalps  and  prisoners  which  he  had  brought 
from  the  United  States,  rose  and  addressed  the 
governor  as  follows  : — c  Father — You  commanded 
us  to  bring  the  believing  Indians  and  their  teachers 
from  the  Muskingum.  This  has  been  done.  When 
we  had  brought  them  to  Sandusky,  you  ordered 
us  to  bring  their  teachers  and  some  of  their  chiefs 
unto  you.  Here  you  see  them  before  you.  Now 
you  may  speak  with  them  yourself,  as  you  have 
desired.  But  I  hope  you  will  speak  good  words 
unto  them :  yea,  I  tell  you,  speak  good  words 
unto  them  ;  for  they  are  my  friends,  and  I  should 
be  sorry  to  see  them  ill  used.'  These  last  words 
he  repeated  two  or  three  times.  In  reply  to  this 
speech,  the  governor  enumerated  the  various  com 
plaints  he  had  made  against  the  brethren,  and 
called  upon  him  to  prove  that  they  had  actually 
corresponded  with  the  Americans,  to  the  pre 
judice  of  the  English.  To  this  the  chief  replied, 
that  such  a  thing  might  have  happened ;  but  they 
would  do  it  no  more,  for  they  vere  now  at  Detrok 


NORTH   AMERICA.  231 

The  governor,  justly  dissatisfied  with  this  answer, 
peremptorily  demanded  that  he  should  give  a  direct 
reply  to  his  question.  Pipe  was  now  greatly  em 
barrassed  ;  and,  bending  to  his  counsellors,  asked 
them  what  he  should  say!  But  they  all  hung 
their  heads  in  silence.  On  a  sudden,  however,  he 
rose,  and  thus  addressed  the  governor : — i  I  said 
before  that  such  a  thing  might  have  happened ; 
now  I  will  tell  you  the  truth.  The  missionaries 
are  innocent.  They  have  done  nothing  of  them 
selves  ;  what  they  did,  they  were  compelled  to 
do.'  Then,  smiting  his  breast,  he  added  :  £  I  am 
to  -blame,  and  the  chiefs  who  were  with  me.  We 
forced  them  to  do  it  when  they  refused ;'  alluding 
to  the  correspondence  between  the  Delaware  chiefs 
and  the  Americans,  of  which  the  missionaries  were 
the  innocent  medium.  Thus  the  brethren  found 
an  advocate  and  a  friend  in  their  accuser  and 
enemy. 

"  After  making  some  further  inquiries,  the  go 
vernor  declared,  before  the  whole  camp,  that  the 
brethren  were  innocent  of  all  the  charges  alleged 
against  them  ;  that  he  felt  great  satisfaction  in  their 
endeavours  to  civilize  and  Christianize  the  In 
dians  ;  and  that  he  would  permit  them  to  return 
to  their  congregation  without  delay.  He  even 
offered  them  the  use  of  his  own  house,  in  the  most 
friendly  manner ;  and  as  they  had  been  plundered, 
contrary  to  his  express  command,  he  ordered  them 
to  be"  supplied  with  clothes,  and  various  other 
articles  of  which  they  stood  in  need.  He  even 
bought  the  four  watches  which  the  savages  had 
taken  from  them  and  sold  to  a  trader.  After  ex 


232  THE   INDIANS   OF 

periencing  various  other  acts  of  kindness  from  him 
they  returned  to  Sandusky,  and  were  received 
with  inexpressible  joy  by  their  families  and  the 
whole  congregation." 

Jlustin.  Well,  I  am  glad  it  has  all  ended  so  hap 
pily.  Captain  Pipe  and  Colonel  de  Peyster  acted 
an  unworthy  part,  to  suspect  the  missionaries. 

Brian.  They  did  ;  but  the  colonel  declared  be 
fore  the  whole  camp  that  they  were  innocent. 
That  wa:s  making  some  amends  for  his  suspicions. 

Basil.  Captain  Pipe  ought  to  have  been  ashamed 
of  himself. 

Hunter.  The  missionaries  went  through  various 
trials,  and  nearly  a  hundred  Christian  Indians — • 
men,  women  and  children — were  cruelly  slaugh 
tered  ;  but  afterwards  the  missions  began  to  wear  a 
more  prosperous  appearance.  I  have  now  kept 
you  longer  than  usual.  The  next  time  you  come 
here,  I  will  finish  my  missionary  account.  Though 
among  the  tribes  near  the  whites  great  changes 
have  taken  place,  yet,  among  the  Indians  of  the 
far- west,  their  customs  are  but  little  altered.  They 
join  in  the  buffalo  hunt,  assemble  in  the  war- 
party,  engage  in  their  accustomed  games,  and 
smoke  the  pipe  of  peice,  the  same  as  ever. 


NORTH   AMERICA. 


233 


Missionary  and  Indians. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

IN  the  former  part  of  the  hunter's  relation, 
Austin  Edwards  and  his  brothers  thought  of  little 
else  than  of  bluffs  and  prairies,  buffaloes,  beare 
and  beavers,  warlike  Indian  chiefs  and  the  spirit- 
stirring  adventures  of  savage  life ;  but  the  last 
visit  paid  to  the'  cottage  had  considerably  sobered 
their  views.  The  hunter  had  gradually  won  his 
way  into  their  affections,  by  contributing  largely 
to  their  amusement ;  and  he  had,  also,  secured 
their  respect  and  high  opinion,  by  his  serious  re 
marks.  They  had  no  doubt  of  his  being  a  true 
friend  to  Indians,  and  they  had,  on  that  account, 
listened  the  more  attentively  to  what  he  had  ad 
vanced  on  the  subject  of  missionaries.  The  know 
ledge  that  they  were  about  to  hear  the  end  of  th? 


234  THE   INDIANS   OF 

hunter's  relation,  though  it  hung  a  little  heavy  on 
their  spirits,  disposed  them  to  seriousness  and  at 
tention. 

"  And  now,"  said  the  hunter,  as  soon  as 
Austin,  Brian,  and  Basil  had  seated  themselves 
in  his  cottage,  and  requested  him  to  continue  his 
missionary  account,  "I  will  give  you  the  best 
statement  I  can,  in  a  few  words,  of  the  number 
of  people  who  are  employed  among  the  Indians 
in  the  missionary  cause." 

Austin.  Yes ;  we  shall  like  to  hear  that  very 
well. 

Hunter.  The  American  Board  of  Commis 
sioners  for  Foreign  Missions  sustain  missionary 
stations  among  the  Cherokees,  Choctaws,  Pawnees, 
Oregon  tribes,  Sioux,  Ojibbewas^Stockb ridge  tribe, 
New  York  tribes  and  the  Abenaquis.  There  are 
twenty-five  stations  and  twTenty-three  missionaries, 
three  medical  missionaries,  three  native  preachers, 
two  physicians,  ten  male  and  forty-five  female 
assistants. 

The  Board  of  Missions  connected  with  the  Pres 
byterian  church  sustain  missions  among  the 
Creeks,  the  lowas  and  Sacs,  and  the  Chippeways 
and  Ottawas ;  three  missionaries  and  their  wives 
and  several  teachers  are  employed. 

The  missionary  society  of  the  Methodist  Epis 
copal  church  have  established  missions  among  the 
fcuawnees,.  Delawares,  Wyandotts,  Kickapoos, 
Pottawatomies,  Choctaws,  Chickasaws,  Cherokees, 
Senecas,  Creeks,  Oneidas,  Winnebagoes  and 
some  smaller  tribes.  From  an  old  report  of  this  $ 


NORTH  AMERICA.  235 

laborious  society,  1844,  I  have  copied  a  passage 
which  I  will  read  you  : 

"It  is  now  generally  conceded,  by  those  best  ac 
quainted  with  the  peculiarities  of  the  Indian  cha 
racter,  that  however  powerful  the  gospel  may  be, 
in  itself,  to  melt  and  subdue  the  savage  heart,  it 
is  indispensable,  if  we  would  secure  the  fruits  of 
our  missionary  labours,  to  connect  the  blessings 
of  civilization  with  all  our  Christian  efforts.  And 
we  rejoice  to  learn,  that  among  many  of  the  In 
dian  tribes  the  civilizing  process  is  going  on,  and 
keeping  pace  with  their  spiritual  advancement. 
They  are  turning  their  attention  more  and  more 
to  agriculture,  and  the  various  arts  of  civilized 
]ife.  They  have  also  established  a  number  of 
schools  and  academies,  some  of  which  they  have 
liberally  endowed  from  the  annuities  they  receive 
from  the  United  States  government.  Some  of  these 
schools  are  already  in  successful  operation,  and 
many  of  the  Indian  youth  are  making  rapid  ad 
vancement  in  literary  pursuits." 

The  Baptist  Board  of  Missions  have  seven  mis 
sions,  embracing  nineteen  stations  and  out-sta 
tions,  thirty-two  missionaries  and  assistants,  ten 
native  preachers  and  assistants,  fifteen  organized 
churches  and  sixteen  hundred  professing  Chris 
tians.  These  missionary  labours  are  among  the 
Ojibbewas,  Ottowas,  Tonewandas,  Tuscaroras, 
Shawnees,  Cherokees,  Creeks  and  Choctaws. 

The  United  Brethren  or  Moravians,  and  the 
Board  of  Missions  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
«hurch,  also  maintain  missions  among  the  Indians. 


236  THE  INDIANS  OF 

•Austin.  How  do  the  missionaries  preach  to  the 
Indians.  Do  they  understand  their  strange  lan 
guage? 

Hunter.  Your  question  calls  to  ray  mind  one 
of  the  most  interesting  and  remarkable  events  of 
Indian  history.  I  will  endeavour  to  give  you  a 
brief  account  of  it.  I  refer  to  the  invention  of  an 
alphabet  by  a  native  Cherokee  named  George 
Guess  or  Guyst,  who  knew  not  how  to  speak  Eng 
lish  and  was  never  taught  to  read  English  books. 
It  was  in  1824 — 5  that  this  invention  began  to 
attract  considerable  attention.  Having  become 
acquainted  with  the  principle  of  the  alphabet ;  viz. 
that  marks  can  be  made  the  symbols  of  sound ; 
this  uninstructed  man  conceived  the  notion  that 
he  could  express  all  the  syllables  in  the  Cherokee 
language  by  separate  marks,  or  characters.  On 
collecting  all  the  syllables  which,  after  long  study 
and  trial,  he  could  recall  to  his  memory,  he  found 
the  number  to  be  eighty-two.  In  order  to  express 
these,  he  took  the  letters  of  our  alphabet  for  a  part 
of  them,  and  various  modifications  of  our  letters, 
with  some  characters  of  his  own  invention,  for  the 
rest.  With  these  symbols  he  set  about  writing 
letters ;  and  very  soon  a  correspondence  wa^ 
actually  maintained  between  the  Cherokees  in 
Wills  Valley,  and  their  .countrymen  beyond  the 
Mississippi,  500  miles  apart.  This  was  done  by 
individuals  who  could  not  speak  English,  and 
who  had  never  learned  any  alphabet,  except  this 
syllabic  one,  which  Guess  had  invented,  taught 
to  others,  and  introduced  into  practice.  The 


NORTH   AMERICA.  237 

interest  in  this  matter  increased  till,  at  length, 
young  Cherokees  travelled  a  great  distance  to  be 
instructed  in  this  easy  method  of  writing  and 
reading.  In  three  days  they  were  able  to  com 
mence  letter-writing,  and  return  home  to  their 
native  villages  prepared  to  teach  others.  Either 
Guess  himself,  or  some  other  person  afterwards, 
discovered  four  other  syllables-;  making  all  the 
known  syllables  of  the  Cherokee  language  eighty- 
six.  This  is  a  very  curious  fact ;  especially  whei?. 
it  is  considered  that  the  language  is  very  copious 
on  some  subjects,  a  single  verb  undergoing  some 
thousands  of  inflections.  All  syllables  in  the 
Cherokee  language  end  with  vowels.  The  same 
is  true  of  the  language  of  the  islanders  of  the  Pa 
cific  ocean.  But  in  the  Choctaw  language,  syl 
lables  often  end  with  consonants. 

"  Some  months  since,"  says  a  report  of  the  Che 
rokee  mission  in  1825,  "  Mr.  David  Brown  com 
menced  the  translation  of  the  New  Testament  into 
Cherokee,  with  the  occasional  assistance  of  two 
or  three  of  his  countrymen,  who  are  more  tho 
roughly  acquainted,  than  he  is,  with  that  language. 
Already  the  four  Gospels  are  translated,  and  fairly 
copied  ;  and  if  types  and  a  press  were  ready,  they 
could  be  immediately  revised  and  printed  and 
read.  Extracts  are  now  transcribed  and  perused 
by  a  few. 

"  It  is  manifest  that  such  a  translation  must  be 
very  imperfect ;  but  it  is  equally  manifest  that 
much  divine  truth  maybe  communicated  by  it, 
and  probably  with  more  accuracy  than  is  com- 


238  THE    IBDIANS    OF 

monly  done  by  preaching,  either  with  an  inter* 
preter,  or  without  one." 

Another  account  is  a  little  more  full : 
"It  is  well  worthy  of  notice,  that  Mr.  Guyst, 
the  inventor,  is  a  man  past  the  middle  age.  He 
had  seen  books,  and,  I  have  been  told,  had  an 
English  spelling-book  in  his  house  ;  but  he  could 
not  read  a  word  in  any  language,  nor  speak  the 
English  language  at  all.  His  alphabet  consists  of 
eighty-six  characters,  each  of  which  represents  a 
syllable,  with  the  exception  of  one,  which  has  the 
sound  of  the  English  s,  and  is  prefixed  to  other 
characters  when  required.  These  eighty- six  cha 
racters  are  sufficient  to  write  the  language,  at  least 
intelligibly.  The  alphabet  is  thought  by  some 
of  the  Cherokees  to  need  improvement ;  but,  as 
it  is,  it  is  read  by  a  very  large  portion  of  the 
people,  though  I  suppose  there  has  been  no  such 
thing  as  a  school  in  which  it  has  been  taught,  and 
it  is  not  more  than  two  or  three  years  since  it  was 
invented.  A  few  hours  of  instruction  are  suffi 
cient  for  a  Cherokee  to  learn  to  read  his  own  lan 
guage  intelligibly.  He  will  not,  indeed,  so  soon 
be  able  to  read  fluently :  but  when  he  has  learned 
to  read  and  understand,  fluency  will  be  acquired 
by  practice.  The  extent  of  my  information  will 
not  enable  me  to  form  a  probable  estimate  of  the 
number  in  the  nation  who  can  thus  read,  but  I 
am  assured,  by  those  who  had  the  best  opportu 
nity  of  knowing,  that  there  is  no  part  of  the  na 
tion  where  the  new  alphabet  is  not  understood. 
That  it  will  prevaL  over  every  other  method  of 
writing  the  language,  there  is  no  doubt." 


NORTH   AMERICA.  239 

jlustin.  Did  they  find  the  language  could  be 
easily  written  and  printed  ? 

Hunter.  In  1828  one  of  the  missionaries  of 
the  American  Board  devoted  himself  to  the  acqui 
sition  of  the  language,  with  a  view  to  translating 
the  Scriptures,  and  preparing  school-books  and 
tracts  for  the  general  instruction  of  the  people. 
As  he  proceeded  in  the  study  of  the  language,  he 
found  it  more  and  more  wonderful  in  its  structure, 
and  the  difficulties  which  must  have  attended  the 
labour  of  reducing  it  to  a  system  became  mo're 
and  more  apparent. 

Before  this,  however,  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
people  was  kindled :  great  numbers  had  learned 
to  read  ;  they  were  circulating  hymns  and  portions 
of  Scripture,  and  writing  letters  every  day,  and 
even  procured  a  medal  to  present  to  the  inventor, 
as  a  token  of  their  gratitude  for  this  wonderful 
method  of  writing  their  own  language.  They 
began  to  talk  much  of  printing  in  the  new  and 
famous  characters  ;  appropriated  money  to  procure 
a  press  and  types,  and  anticipated  with  joy  the 
printing  of  the  Scriptures  in  a  language  they 
could  read  and  understand. 

At  the  same  time  the  missionaries  to  the  Choc- 
taws  were  reducing  their  language  to  a  system. ' 
One  of  them  collected  more  than  3000  words, 
arranged  according  to  the  subjects  to  which 
they  refer,  which  he  translated  into  English. 
Ten  hymns  were  also  translated  into  Choc- 
taw,  and  a  spelling-book  prepared  in  the  same 
language'. 


240  THE  INDIANS  OF 

Austin.  But  let  us  hear  what  became  of  1}ie 
Guyst's  Cherokee  alphabet.  As  that  wa£  an 
invention  of  his  own,  it  seems  very  wonderful. 

Hunter.  I  will  tell  you.  In  the  summer  or 
fall  of  1827,  there  was  an  examination  of  one  of 
the  Cherokee  mission  schools,  on  which  occasion 
one  of  the  chiefs  made  an  address  in  the  Cherokee 
language,  of  which  the  following  is  a  translation. 

"Dear  children: — I  often  speak  to  you,  and 
encourage  you  to  continue  in  the  pursuit  of  useful 
knowledge  ;  such  knowledge  as  will  be  for  your 
own  good,  and  that  of  your  own  country.  You 
are  engaged  in  a  good  thing.  I  am  always  pleased 
to  see  the  progress  you  are  making  in  learning. 
I  feel  that  much  depends  on  you.  On  you  de 
pends  the  future  welfare  of  your  country. 

"  When  I  was  young  there  were  no  schools 
among  us.  No  one  to  teach  us  such  learning  as 
you  are  now  obtaining.  My  lot  was  quite  different 
from  yours.  You  have  here  many  advantages. 
Improve  them.  Pursue  the  paths  of  virtue  and 
knowledge.  Some  of  your  fathers,  who  first 
agreed  for  the  tefflchers  to  come  among  us,  are 
now  no  more.  They  are  gone. 

"It  is  now  some  years  since  a  school  was 
established  in  Creekpath,  your  native  place.  I 
myself  aided  to  build  the  first  school-house.  At 
first  the  children  did  not  learn  very  fast.  But  now, 
since  the  establishment  of  a  school  at  this  place, 
they  are  doing  much  better.  I  have  reason  to 
believe  you  are  learning  as  fast  as  might  be  ex 
pected.  Some  of  you  have  been  in  school  five 


NOATH    AMERICA.  241 

years,  and  some  not  so  long.  You  have  now 
acquired  considerable  knowledge.  By-and-by 
you  will  have  more.  This  gives  me  great  satis 
faction  Remember  that  the  whites  are  near  us. 
With  them  we  have  constant  intercourse;  and 
you  must  be  sensible  that,  unless  you  can  speak 
their  language,  read  and  write  as  they  do,  they 
will  be  able  to  cheat  you  and  trample  upon  you* 
rights.  Be  diligent,  therefore,  in  your  studies, 
and  let  nothing  hinder  you  from  them.  Do  not 
quarrel  with  each  other.  Aid  one  another  in  your 
useful  employ ;  obey  your  teachers,  and  walk  in 
the  way  they  tell  you." 

In  November,  after  this  speech  was  delivered, 
a  fount  of  types  in  the  new  Cherokee  alphabet 
was  shipped  from  Boston  to  the  Cherokee  nation : 
and  from  an  account  published  at  the  time,  I  take 
a  few  sentences. 

"  The  press  will  be  employed  in  printing  the 
New  Testament  and  other  portions  of  the  Bible, 
and  school-books  in  the  Cherokee  language,  and 
such  other  books  in  Cherokee  or  English  as  will 
tend  to  diffuse  knowledge  through  the  nation. 
A  prospectus  has  also  been  issued  for  a  news 
paper,  entitled  the  Cherokee  Phcenix,  to  be  printed 
partly  in  Cherokee,  and  partly  in  English ;  the 
first  number  of  which  is  expected  to  appear  early 
in  January.  All  this  has  been  done  by  order  of 
the  Cherokee  government,  and  at  their  expense. 
They  have  also  hired  a  printer  to  superintend  the 
printing  office,  to  whom  they  give  §400  a  year, 
and  another  printer  to  whom  they  give  $300, 


242  THE    INDIANS    OF 

Mr.  Elias  Bcudinot,  who  was  educated,  in  part 
at  the  Foreign  Mission  School,  then  established 
in  Cornwall,  (Conn.,)  was  appointed  editor,  with 
a  yearly  salary  of  $300. 

"  Among  the  Cherokees,  then,  we  are  to  see  the 
first  printing-press  ever  owned  and  employed  by  any 
nation  of  the  aborigines  of  this  continent ;  the  first 
effort  at  writing  and  printing  in  characters  of  their 
own ;  the  first  newspaper,  and  the  first  book 
printed  among  themselves;  the  first  editor;  and 
the  first  well  organized  system  for  securing  a 
general  diffusion  of  knowledge  among  the  people. 
Among  the  Cherokees,  also,  we  see  established 
the  first  regularly  elective  government,  with  the 
legislative,  judicial,  and  executive  branches  dis 
tinct  ;  with  the  safeguards  of  a  written  constitu 
tion  and  trial  by  jury.  Here,  also,  we  see  first 
the  Christian  religion  recognised  and  protected  by 
the  government ;  regular  and  exemplary  Christian 
churches;  and  flourishing  schools  extensively 
established,  and,  in  many  instances,  taught  by 
native  Cherokees." 

Prian.  I  suppose,  by  this  time,  they  have  a 
great  many  books  printed,  and  more  than  one 
newspaper. 

Hunter.  Alas,  poor  fellows!  they  have  had 
something  very  different  to  think  about  since  the 
times  I  have  been  speaking  of.  I  cannot  make 
you  understand  all  the  particulars.  But  the 
government  of  the  state  within  whose  bounds  the 
Indian  country  lay,  wished  to  have  the  Indians 
under  their  Control ;  while  the  Indians  considered 


NORTH    AMERICA.  243 

themselves,  and  had  always  been  treated  by  the 
United  States  government  as  independent  nations 
or  communities.  Treaties  were  made  with  them 
just  as  with  foreign  nations.  There  were  diffi 
culties  on  every  side.  A  proposition  'was  made 
to  them,  to  sell  their  lands  to  the  United  States, 
and  remove  to  a  country  beyond  the  Mississippi. 
Some  of  the  tribes  were  in  favour  of  this,  and 
some  were  opposed  to  it.  The  state  government 
became  more  and  more  urgent  for  their  removal, 
and  at  last  effectual  measures  were  adopted  for 
this  purpose,  and  the  Cherokees  and  other  tribes 
were  driven  from  their  homes,  which  \vere  now 
becoming  the  abodes  of  civilization  and  comfort 
and  Christian  love,  and  were  compelled  to  find  a 
new  residence  in  the  far^  far  distant  West.  It  is  a 
melancholy  and  reproachful  chapter  in  our  history 
as  a  nation  ;  and  we  have  reason  to.  fear  that  a 
day  of  retribution  is  at  hand,  if,  indeed,  it  is  not 
now  upon  us.  There  is  a  just  God,  who  plucks 
up  and  destroys  even  the  mighty  nations  of  the 
earth  ;  and,  in  every  period  of  the  world,  his 
power  to  visit  their  iniquities  has  been  exhibited. 

Austin.  And  have  all  efforts  for  their  improve 
ment  been  given  up  ? 

Hunter.  O,  no.  As  I  told  you  just  now, 
several  interesting  and  prosperous  missions  are 
established  among  them  in  their  new  abode  ;  and 
so  lately  as  the  years  1843-4,  the  sum  of  $300 
was  appropriated  by  the  American  Bible  Society, 
towards  printing  portions  of  the  New  Testament 
in  the  Dakota  tongue,  for  the  use  of  the  Sioux i 


244  THE    INDIANS    OF 

And  the  same  blessed  volume  is  now  in  the 
course  of  publication  at.  the  Bible  Society's  house 
in  New  York,  ^n  the  language  of  the  Ojibbewas, 
This  is  a  large  tribe,  and  their  tongue  is  under 
stood  by  several  of  the  neighbouring  tribes.  It 
is  hoped  that  the  possession  of  the  gospel  of 
peace  by  the  Sioux  and  Ojibbewas,  in  their  re 
spective  tongues,  will  produce  a  more  pacific 
spirit  between  these  two  hostile  tribes.  To  this 
end  Christians  should  pray  that  the  Scriptures  of 
truth  may  be  accompanied  by  the  Spirit  of  truth ; 
that  they  may  bring  forth  the  fruits  of  holiness ; 
and  that  the  remnant  of  the  tribes  may  all  be 
brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Saviour. 

There  are  many  obstacles  to  this  most  desirable 
event.  The  wars  that  break  out  .unexpectedly 
among  the  tribes,  the  reverence  entertained  for 
superstitious  customs,  their  removals  from  one 
place  to  another,  the  natural  indolence  of  Indians, 
and  their  love  of  spirituous  liquors,  given  by  white 
men  in  order  to  deceive  them ;  these  and  other 
causes  are  always  at  work,  operating  against  the 
efforts  of  the  missionary.  I  might,  it  is  true,  give 
you  more  instances  than  I  have  done  of  an  en 
couraging  kind,  respecting  the  Indians  generally.* 


*  The  reader  is  referred  to  a  memoir  of  CATHAIUNE 
BROWN,  a  converted  Cherokee  girl,  (written  by  the  Rev. 
Dr.  ANDF.RSOX,  and  published  by  the  American  Sunday- 
school  Union,)  for  one  of  the  most  interesting -exhibitions 
of  the  influence  of  the  Gospel  upon  the  human  heart,  as 
well  as  for  a  very  correct  and  gratifying  account  of  mis' 
sionary  labour  and  success  among  untutored  Indians, 


NORTH    AMERICA..  245 

But,  perhaps,  it  will  be  better  now  to  sum  up  the 
account  by  saying,  the  missionary  is  at  work 
among  them  with  some  degree  of  success ;  and 
though,  from  the  remoteness  of  many  of  the 
tribes,  their  strong  attachment  to  the  superstitions 
of  their  forefathers,  and  other  causes  already 
alluded  to,  the  progress  of  Christianity  is  neces 
sarily  slow,  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  will  ultimate!) 
prevail ;  the  promise  has  gone  forth,  and  will  be 
fulfilled ;  the  heathen  will  be  the  inheritance  of 
the  Redeemer,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth 
will  be  his  possession.  He  who  has  clothed  the 
arm  of  the  red  man  with  strength,  shod  his  feet 
with  swiftness,  and  filled  his  heart  with  courage, 
will,  in  due  time,  subdue  his  cruelty  and  revenge  ; 
open  his  eyes  to  discern  the  wondrous  things  of 
God's  holy  law;  dispose  his  mind  to  acknowledge 
the  Lord  of  life  and  glory,  and  make  him  \villing 
to  receive  the  gospel  of  the  Redeemer. 


THE   END. 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE  M,  E,  CHURCH,  SOUTH, 


THE  ART  OF  DINTING.    Edited  by  Thomas  0.  Sum- 
mers,D.D.    18mo.,  pp.  185.    Price  30  cts. 

This  volume  traces  the  art  preservative  of  •"^•J^'S^g 

bo-innings  to  its  present  approximation  to  perfection.    It  has 
gravinga  representing  presses,  etc.  _  _____  ___ 

ATMEAIISE  OrS*^  AS»  *  ^ 

Richard  Treifry.    18mo.,  pp.  215.    Price  35  cts. 

A  very  serviceable  book. 

METHODISM  ;  or,  Christianity  in  Earnest. 
SABBATH-SCHOOL  OFFERING;  or,  True  Stories  and 

Poems. 

THE  BAY-SPUING  ;  or,  Light  to  them  that  sit  in  D; 
ness. 

ly  printed.    Price,  respectively,  30,  30,  and  2u  cts.         _  ^__ 

JERUSALEM,    ANCIENT  AND   MODEEN.     Two  vols, 
Price  60  cts. 

Excellent  books,  embellished  with  elegant  steel  engravings. 

EY—  THE  INQUISITION, 

than  thirty  others,  belong  to  this  series.  _  ^  _ 

VARIATIONS  OF  POPERY.     By  Samuel  Edgar,  D.  D. 

8vo.,  $125. 
A  masterly  work.  «  _  _  __  _  __ 

VOLCANOES.    Price  30  cts. 


' 


THE  LIFE  OF  THE  REV.  JOHN  W.  DE  LA  FLECHEEE 
Compiled  from  the  Narrative  of  the  Eev.  Mr.  Wes 
ley ;  the  Biographical  Notes  of  the  Kev.  Mr.  Gilpin  \ 
from  his  own  Letters,  and  other  authentic  Docu 
ments,  many  of  which  wero  never  before  published. 
By  Joseph  Benson.  Price  60  cts. 

THE  LIFE  OF  ME3.  MAEY  FLETCHEE,  Consort  and 
Eelict  of  Eev.  John  Fletcher,  Vicar  of  Madeley, 
Salop.  Compiled  from  her  Journal,  and  other 
authentic  Documents.  By  Henry  Moore  Price 
60  cts. 

Cheap  and  convenient  editions  of  these  two  Methodist  classics. 

STOEIES  FOE  VILLAGE  LADS.  By  the  Author  of 
"Stories  of  Schoolboys,"  "Frank  Harrison,"  etc. 
Price  35  cts. 

STOEIES  OF  SCHOOLBOYS.  By  the  Author  of  "  Stones 
for  Village  Lads."  Price  30  cts. 

Those  "lads"  and  "boys"  are  English;  but  we  can  find  a  great 
many  like  them  in  the  United  States,  though  one  seldom  meeta 
with  such  capital  stories  as  these  for  the;ii  and  of  them. 


ST.  PETEE'S  CHAIN  OF  CHEISTIAN  VIETUES.  By 
the  Eev.  C.  D.  Oliver,  of  the  Alabama  Conference. 
Price  40  cents. 

A  n  edifying  treatise,  based  on  2  Pet.  i.  5-7. 

CHEISTIAIT  THEOLOGY:  By  Adam  Clarke,  LL.D.,  F.A.S. 
Selected  from  his  published  and  unpublished  Writ 
ings,  and  systematically  arranged.  With  a  Life  of 
the  Author.  By  Samuel  Dunn.  Price  75  cts. 

A  carefully  revised  edition  of  this  great  work. 

THE  GEEAT  SUPPEE  NOT  CALVINISTIC ;  being  a 
Eeply  to  the  Eev.  Dr.  Fail-child's  Discourses  on  the 
Parable  of  the  Great  Supper.  By  Leroy  M.  Lee  D.D. 
Price  50  cts. 

There  is  no  mincing  the  matter  in  this  sturdy  volume.  Even- 
handed  justice  is  dealt  out  to  Dr.  Fail-child,  with  his  aiders  a:td 
Abettors;  and  the  gospel  of  the  grace  of  God  is  triumphantly  de- 
tVmlfv]  from  their  Calvirr'stio  imrn^f.inris 


